


Shipwrecked

by SilentRain91



Series: The island [1]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Shipwrecked, Blood, Clexa, F/F, Lexa is a badass commander, Linctavia - Freeform, a storm happens, ranya, they drift to a deserted island
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-31
Updated: 2016-04-08
Packaged: 2018-05-30 08:51:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 81,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6416959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentRain91/pseuds/SilentRain91
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clarke boards a small ship with her parents. The Blake siblings tag along. The ship belongs to Gustus Woods, father of Lexa and Anya. During their trip, Octavia admits she can't swim. The trip goes well. The children are wearing life vests. What is the worst that can happen?</p><p>A storm breaks loose, Anya leaves her cabin with the other girls in an attempt to make it to one of the life boats. A wall of water hits the ship before they can get there. The ship is a goner and the children end up in the water. When things can't get worse, Octavia's life vest is ruined and she is about to drown. A pair of strong arms hoists the girls on a door. </p><p>OR</p><p>That AU where they get shipwrecked. The girls end up on a deserted island with fourteen year old Anya as their guardian. The girls bond with each other. Clexa happens as the girls get older.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Jake shakes his head. “I don’t know if it is a good idea to board that ship, Abby.” He rubs his hands against his temples. “There will be rain later today and the sea might not be so calm.” He places his bag on top of the kitchen counter.

Abby reaches for his hand. “We already promised Clarke that we are going.” A weak smile appears on her face. “You know how much she has been looking forward to this.” Abby strokes her thumb gently over her husband’s hand. “Some rain won’t hurt her.”

“I’m ready!” Clarke runs into the kitchen, a big smile on her face.

Jake kneels down, holding his arms open. “Hey, kiddo.” He hugs his daughter, softly patting her back. “You’re really looking forward to this, aren’t you?” He looks at his daughter.

Clarke nods vigorously. She has been very excited for weeks now. Her parents had promised her they will take her with them on a ship. A little blue backpack is strapped around her back.

The doorbell rings.

Jake stands up. “Ah, that must be the Blakes, I’ll go get it.” He walks out the kitchen to go open the door.

The Blake siblings, Octavia Blake and Bellamy Blake live in their neighborhood and have been friends with Clarke Griffin since she was a toddler. Clarke’s parents had arranged for them to be on the trip as well, after Clarke had pleaded to let them come too.

Clarke squeals when she sees her friends.

Jake watches fondly as his daughter wraps her friends in a big hug. Abby chuckles and snaps a few pictures.

 

* * *

 

 

Jake grabs a few life vests as soon as they are about to board the small ship. He prepares to strap the first one around his daughter.

Clarke shakes her head. “I don’t need that, dad.” She steps away, but her father grasps her wrist. “I’m a big girl.” Clarke looks at her father, feeling like he’s treating her like a baby.

Jake gently caresses his daughter’s cheek. “I know you are a big girl, but this is for your safety. I want you to wear this, just in case something happens.” His blue eyes meet Clarke’s even bluer eyes.

“I agree with your father, Clarke.” Abby kneels down next to her husband. “Without this vest we won’t let you go on board.” Abby knows how much her husband worries about the safety of their daughter and making her wear a life vest is perfectly reasonable.

Clarke rolls her eyes and nods, allowing her father to put the life vest on. She feels like she doesn’t need the vest, she can swim and she is ten years old.

Jake grabs two more life vests for the Blake siblings. Bellamy is twelve years old. Octavia is eight.

The captain, Gustus Woods greets Clarke’s parents politely. Jake had gotten his number from someone else.

“My ship is small, but this is what I have.” Gustus proudly gestures to his ship. He looks to his right. “These are my girls, Lexa and Anya.” Gustus points at his daughters. “I believe Lexa is your daughter’s age.” He looks at Clarke who is about the same height as his daughter, Lexa.

Jake shakes Gustus’s hand. “Our Clarke is ten.”

“Lexa is ten as well.” Gustus drops Jake’s hand. “Her older sister Anya is fourteen.” Another girl shows up next to them. “Oh and this is Raven, a friend of my daughters.”

Raven is holding something in her hand which looks like some type of radio. Gustus takes it out of her hands. “She likes technology and all those things, she’s a smart kid.”

“We are ready to leave.” A young teenager approaches them. “Everything is set, uncle.”

Gustus nods. “Good job, Lincoln.” Gustus turns around and gestures for Clarke’s parents to follow him. He leads them to a cabin in his ship. “The girls can sleep here.” He motions his hand to another cabin. “The boys will be sleep there.”

Bellamy is a bit reluctant to share a cabin with Lincoln, who he doesn’t know. He would rather stick close to his sister, Octavia. Clarke and Octavia awkwardly greet Lexa, Raven and Anya.

After putting their bags in their cabins, they go to the deck of the ship. Clarke smiles at the sight of the sea. Waves are moving slowly and the sun is shining.

Clarke looks at the little girl who is standing next to her. Lexa, she recalls. Her green eyes are staring out into the sea. Her brown hair moves smoothly with each breeze of the wind. Lexa turns to look at Clarke, directly into Clarke’s blue eyes. Clarke nervously plays with her blonde hair.

Lexa offers her hand. “Hi, I’m Lexa.”

Clarke takes her hand. “Clarke.”

“Clarke.” Lexa lets the K click. “My father owns this ship.”

“I wish my dad would have a ship too.” Clarke looks a bit sad, but smiles quickly when she remembers that she currently is on a ship, even if it isn’t her father’s ship.

Octavia tugs at Clarke’s shirt. She looks scared. Clarke hugs the younger girl who is one head shorter, something Clarke has always found adorable.

“I’m scared.” Octavia digs her nails into Clarke’s back, like she’s holding on for dear life.

“Why are you scared?” Clarke questioningly looks at the younger girl.

Octavia bows her head down. “I… I can’t swim.”

“Oh.” Clarke did not expect that. “We are not going to swim, we are on this ship and my dad gave us these.” Clarke points at the life vests they’re wearing.

Octavia smiles weakly, fear still apparent in her eyes. She’s a fragile little girl.

Bellamy takes his sister’s hand. “I will protect you, O.” He stands tall and lifts his chin up.

 

* * *

 

 

Jake and Abby drink in the view. They are somewhere in the middle of the sea by now. This is their third day on the ship. Tomorrow they will turn back around. The weather has been mostly sunny. Today it is raining a bit, but nothing more than a few raindrops, nothing they should worry about.

Clarke squirms herself in between her parents. “I wish I could swim here with the dolfins.”

Jake chuckles. “This is not a good place to swim, Clarke.” He gives his daughter a serious look. “The sea is very, very deep and the waves can be really strong.”

“I’m a good swimmer.” Clarke smiles at her parents. “Octavia can’t swim though.” Clarke shakes her head. “She told me the first day when we got on this ship.”

Jake and Abby exchange a concerned look with each other. Not that it matters much if Octavia can’t swim, but it would have been good information to know before they boarded.

Abby looks at her husband. “The children are all wearing life vests, they will be fine. We are all fine.”

Jake however, doesn’t want to risk anything. He manages to convince Gustus to hand him a life ring, which he gives Octavia, in case the child would somehow manage to fall into the water.

 

* * *

 

 

The weather is getting a bit worse. It is night now. The rain falls quickly out of the sky. If they go on the deck now, they will be soaked completely in mere seconds.

“Everyone into their cabins, now.” Gustus voice is strong and commanding. “Check your life vests.”

Jake walks up to Gustus to have a word with him, in private.

“The weather is getting worse.” Jake puts his hands in his pockets. “I think we should return home.”

“We will return, but it will take us two days.” Gustus points up at the sky. Thunderclaps ring through the air. “It is tough to sail when the weather is like this.”

Jake rubs his hand through his hair. “Do you think there will be a storm?”

Gustus peers around, looking up at the sky and down at the sea. “It is possible.” He hesitates for a moment and clears his throat. “I have sailed through storms before.”

“I will check on the children to make sure their life vests are strapped on decently.”

Gustus nods shortly.

The first cabin Jake reaches is the cabin of the boys, Bellamy and Lincoln. He opens the door and finds Lincoln, who is helping Bellamy with his life vest. Jake figures that Lincoln knows what he’s doing, but he takes a moment to check if the life vest is strapped on properly anyway. He always prefers to be safe rather than sorry.

The next cabin Jake reaches is the cabin of the girls. Abby is already inside, holding Octavia in her arms who looks mortified. Abby looks up at her husband. “She is scared of the thunder.”

Jake feels guilty. He feels like it is his fault that Octavia is even on this ship. If he would have asked more information from her parents, he would have known how scared she is because she can’t swim and the thunder scares her.

Jake’s eyes fall upon his daughter. A young girl is tugging at Clarke’s life vest, making sure it is strapped on really good. Jake kneels down next to them and recognizes the young girl as Lexa, Gustus’s daughter. He smiles warmly at her and thanks her.

There is a hard knock on the door of the cabin. The door flies open. It’s Lincoln.

“My uncle wants to have a word with you both.” Lincoln points at Jake and Abby.

Clarke reaches her arms out for Octavia, who is still sobbing in her mother’s arms. The younger girl clasps her arms around Clarke.

Abby and Jakes excuse themselves and follow Lincoln, promising they will come back as fast as they can, placing a quick kiss on Clarke’s forehead.

Lexa wraps her arms around Octavia, capturing the younger girl in between herself and Clarke. It feels a bit foreign for Lexa to hug someone, but she can tell that the younger girl is very afraid and that she needs comfort.

The ship rocks a bit, making their bags fall. The girls scream at the sudden movements, panic taking over.

Anya who had been standing at the other side of their cabin hurries towards the other girls.

“Sit down, now, all of you!” Anya points to the wooden floor of their cabin and demands them to sit. The girls obey and sit down. Anya slides down next to them. “Place your head between your knees.”

Anya’s eyes widen when the two beds in the cabin shift. They had been sharing two beds. It was a bit small, but it was the best they had. Anya stretches her legs and pushes them against one of the beds, to avoid having the bed smashing against them. Raven and Lexa do the same for the other bed. This is not the first time they are going through this, it is not the first time they are at sea while their beds shift.

 

* * *

 

 

“You asked to have a word with us?” Jake is a few steps away from Gustus, standing next to his wife Abby and next to Lincoln.

“Lincoln, go back to your cabin.” Gustus dismisses Lincoln and waits for the teenager to be gone.

Abby furrows her eyebrows. “Well?”

Gustus shakes his head. “The sea is getting rougher.”

The thunderclaps are now joined by lightening. From the sounds of it, it is getting closer to the ship.

Jake narrows his eyes. “This is bad news isn’t it?”

“It was supposed to clear up by now, but the weather took a turn for the worse instead.”

Abby bites her lip. “Do you think there will be a storm?”

“It is possible, Miss Griffin.” Gustus rubs his beard. “I have sailed through storms before.”

“Can you get us all home safely?”

“I will try my best, Mr. Griffin.”

“You don’t know if we will get home safely?”

“With weather like this, I can’t be certain.” Gustus puts his hands firmly behind his back. His clothes are soaked from the rain. “My crew is preparing the lifeboats as we speak, in case we might need them.”

Jake inhales deeply. “How many life boats do you have?”

“Two.”

Jake fears the answer for his next question. “And how many people can fit into one?” The ship is small, so he assumes the life boats aren’t exactly big.

Gustus clenches his jaw. He wants to avoid panic. “Four to five people.” He knows that is not enough, but it is all he has. Usually it would be enough for his two daughters, his nephew, Raven, his crew of four people and himself. This time he has the Griffin family and the Blake children on board as well.

Abby nearly freaks out. “Four to five? That’s all? That means if this ship goes down, there is only space for eight to ten people in those life boats!” She places her hand in front of her mouth. “There are seven children on board!”

“Miss Griffin please, try to calm down.” Gustus lifts his hands up. “If something happens to my ship, the children will be the first ones to get a place on the life boats.”

“How do you expect me to be calm!” Abby screams. “There are seven children and seven adults. That’s fourteen people!”

Jake holds his wife and tries to calm her down. Freaking out won’t making this situation any better. He knows the circumstances are dire, but screaming at Gustus won’t change anything.

“The youngest children won’t take up much space, we might be able to squeeze twelve people into the life boats.” Gustus’s eyes soften. “It is not certain that my ship would go down.”

Abby has tears in her eyes. “What if it does? If it does, twelve people is still not enough.”

“If my ship goes down, I will go down with it.”

Abby gapes. “That is not what I… you have your two daughters on board.”

Gustus nods firmly. “Exactly, and I would make sure they have a place on the life boats.”

Jake looks at his wife. “We should go back to the children.” He takes his wife’s hand.

The ship rocks a bit, willing them to shift their feet.

“Hold on!” Gustus shouts, grabbing a pole, demanding Jake and Abby to do the same.

Gustus shouts a few quick commands to his small crew.

A look of horror is smeared on Abby’s face when a raging storm breaks loose. Jake and Abby want to run back to the cabins to check on the children, but it’s too late.

A high wall of water washes over the ship.

 

* * *

 

 

Anya peeks through the small window of their cabin. The waves are smashing against the ship. Anya knows that this storm is bad news. For the first time, Anya believes that her father’s ship won’t be able to make it through. She knows her father has life boats, which are probably being prepared. They can’t stay in their cabin. It’s not safe. If the storm swallows her father’s ship, they will go down with it.

“Get up girls.” Anya stands up. “We have to get out of this cabin, now! It’s not safe!”

Lexa and Raven stand up immediately, obeying Anya without hesitation. They know better.

Clarke and Octavia on the other hand, continue to sit down, holding each other, looking at Anya like she is crazy. Why would they leave their cabin when a storm is happening? Clarke thinks about how her parents would react if she would leave the cabin.

Anya rolls her eyes. They don’t have time for this. She grabs Clarke and Octavia and pulls them up. “I said it is not safe! If you stay here, you will drown!”

Octavia panics and cries. She can’t swim, she doesn’t want to drown.

Great, a sobbing kid, just what Anya needs right now.

Anya doesn’t want to waste any more time, because they don’t have time. She practically drags Clarke and Octavia out of their cabin. Lexa and Raven follow her without a word. Anya brings them all up the deck, commanding them to hold each other’s hand. The crew should be nearby with the life boats. Anya rakes her memory to recall the drill her father taught her. Her father had taught her a safety drill on what to do in case the ship would go down. He had taught her that the ship would sink fast when it would go down, so hiding in one of the cabins would be an awful idea.

Anya just reached the deck with the girls when she remembers that there is also a boy, Bellamy. Shit, shit, shit. Anya mutters to herself and hopes that Lincoln will get the boy out safely. She has no time to go back to get the boy herself. Anya gulps when she sees a wall of water, about to hit the ship. There is no way the ship will survive this storm.

“Hold on!!!” Anya strengthens her grip around Clarke’s and Octavia's wrist. “No matter what happens, don’t let go!”

Lexa squeezes her hand tightly in Clarke’s. Raven squeezes her hand in Octavia’s hand. The girls hold onto each other like a chain.

Anya knows it is too late to reach the life boats. The water is already there. They are too late.

The water washes over the ship without mercy.

 

* * *

 

 

Pieces of the ship are floating around in the sea. The waves are wild. Octavia is screaming and crying. The straps of her life vest didn’t survive the impact of the water. She panics, making one of her hands slip, losing her grip on Raven. 

Anya is still holding Octavia’s other hand. When Anya sees what is happening, she pulls her other hand back, which had been holding onto Clarke. Anya uses both her hands to grab Octavia. “Shh, I got you.” She tries to soothe the younger girl.

Lexa wraps one of her hands around one of Anya’s arms, while still holding Clarke in her other hand. Raven wraps both her hands around Anya’s other arm. They do this so they can stick together. If they let go, they will drift away from each other.

The water is cold. Anya knows they have to get out of the water. If they stay in the water too long, their body temperature will drop and then they will drown. More waves hit them, threatening to drift them apart. Anya feels like the worst has passed and sighs in relief. Octavia has her arms wrapped around Anya’s neck. Anya curses under her breath. Of course the one child who can’t swim lost her life jacket.

A suitcase floats in front of them. It could be clothes or food or both. Voices are screaming in the distance. The girls peer around, but there is no sight of the life boats.

Another wave hits them out of nowhere. Octavia is brutally ripped away by the force of the water. She must be tired and her grip must have been too weak to hold on. Anya scolds herself for losing the younger girl. If only she would have held on a little tighter.

“Octavia!” Clarke screams.

Clarke feels strong hands lifting her up, placing her on what looks like a door from one of the cabins. On the door, Octavia is lying down, coughing up some water that she must have swallowed. Clarke reaches out to her and hugs her tight. When Clarke turns around to see who has placed her, and probably Octavia as well, on the door, she sees Gustus in the water. Now she understands how she has been lifted on that door so easily. Gustus is a big muscled man, who looks like he would be able to crush people’s skull with his bare hands.

Lexa, Raven and Anya are being lifted on the door too. There is no space left on the door. Octavia is placed in the middle. Anya takes her life vest off and straps it around the younger girl, knowing that the girl needs it more than she does, in case another wave hits them.

Gustus looks at the children. His hands are placed against the door. “I found this door when I saw that last wave hitting you all.” He looks at Octavia. “She was about to drown when I fished her out of the water.”

Clarke has tears in her eyes. “You saved my friend, thank you.” She wraps her arms around Octavia, not wanting to think about what would have happened if Gustus hadn’t helped. Clarke thinks about her dad and her mom. “Did you see my parents?”

Gustus shakes his head. When his ship went down, he only saw pieces of his ship in the water and other things like suitcases. He had been relieved when she saw the girls in the distance. A door had been floating nearby; he had grabbed it and was making his way to the girls when another wave hit them. There had been no sight of anyone else.

Lexa looks at her father. “You can’t stay in the water.” She knows the water is cold. Her father had taught her that if she would ever end up in the water, she would have to get onto something as soon as possible to get out of the water.

Gustus looks at his daughter. “I will be okay. What matters to me is that you girls are safe.” He shifts his look to his older daughter, Anya. “Look after them, they will need you.”

Anya’s eyes are glassy. “I will father, I promise.”

There is a faint smile on Gustus’s face. He can’t hold his grip onto the door much longer. Gustus gives the door a push with all the energy he has left when another wave is closing in, a wave that would threaten to flip the girls over. He pushes the door away far enough before the wave hits him.

Lexa and Anya bite their lips. They try to be strong for the other girls, silently hoping their father didn’t drown.

 

* * *

 

 

“Abby, grab my hand!” Jake reaches his hand out to his wife. He’s sitting in one of the lifeboats. Someone from Gustus’s crew had fished him out of the water and pulled him into the boat. Moments later he saw his wife splashing around in the sea.

Abby takes her husband’s hand and allows him to pull her into the life boat. Someone from Gustus’s crew who is sitting in it as well helps to pull her in the boat. Abby looks at the people in the boat. She sees her husband, one of Gustus’s crew members, Lincoln and Bellamy. The boat is barely big enough for all of them. Abby is relieved to see that Bellamy is safe because she and her husband are responsible for the Blake children during this trip.

Lincoln had managed to leave his cabin with Bellamy on time and found one the crew members who was preparing one of the life boats. They got into the boat right before the wall of water hit the ship. After it hit, they had found Jake in the water and eventually Abby.

Jake has a sad look on his face. “Jake? The children…?” There is despair in Abby’s voice. Her hands are shaking, partly from the cold and partly out of concern.

Jake shakes his head. “We haven’t seen them.” His eyes shut down. “All we have seen so far is pieces of the ship, and then we found you.”

Abby chokes back a sob. “The other life boat… they must have made it.”

Jake takes his wife’s hand into his own hands. “I really hope so Abby.”

Bellamy has tears in his eyes. Abby tries to console him. She wonders what would have happened if all the children would have been in one cabin, instead of two. She wonders if Lincoln would have managed to get all the children to the life boat if it would have been that situation, or if all the children would have ended up lost.

Abby narrows her eyes and looks around. The other children are still out there somewhere. Gustus is still out there somewhere. Three of Gustus’s crew members are still out there somewhere. Nine people are still out there and Abby knows that even if some made it to the other life boat, it can only hold about five people. Abby hopes that if anyone made it to the other life boat, it’s the children. Even if they can squeeze in more, like Gustus had told them, there is no way nine people can squeeze into one life boat.

 

* * *

 

 

The girls are drifting further away. With each wave, the pieces of the ship become more distant from them. There are some muffled screams in the distance, but they can’t distinguish any of them.

Anya is holding Octavia in her arms. The young girl is crying and mumbling things about her brother. Lexa is holding Clarke who is crying and talking about her parents. Lexa bites back her own tears. She has to try and believe that her father did not drown, her father who saved them, who pulled them out of the water. Raven is silent.

The girls float around on the door, for what feels like hours. It’s dark and cold. They are all tired. Anya stays awake while the other girls sleep, to make sure none of them ends up in the water. The muffled screams are long gone. Anya is painfully aware that they must be drifting further away from everyone else.

There is something floating in the water. Anya reaches out to grab it. It’s a big bottle of water. She exhales deeply. Okay, this is better than nothing. At least they will be able to drink.

The girls are huddled up against each other due to the lack of space and so they can share their body heat. Anya wonders how she ended up in this situation. She has never been much of a people person. Nobody in her family is. The only friend she and her sister have is Raven.

Raven is eleven, but back at school she had been in Anya’s class. Anya swears that girl is some kind of smartass. It was awkward at first to have Raven, who is three years younger, in her class, but she ended up getting along with her. Raven has been living with Anya and her family for a while. The girl never knew her father and her mother had a serious problem with alcohol and drugs. Her mother got so lost in it that it wasn’t healthy for Raven to live there anymore.

In their free time, they spent most of their time on the ship. Anya remembers how much Raven had groaned the first time, much to her amusement. Raven has a knack for technology and would rather spend her time tinkering with things than spend her time on a ship. She is one of the few people Anya doesn’t mind being around. Anya wishes she would have made it to the life boats on time with the girls. Now she’s stuck with them on a door.

Anya looks at Octavia. The younger girl is sleeping peacefully, her fingers curled into Clarke’s hair. It was not wise of Clarke’s parents to bring Octavia with them. The girl can’t swim and she seems to be afraid of many things. Anya thinks Octavia may even be scared of her own shadow. Her eyes linger on the younger girl for a while. Octavia’s hair is as black as the night. She’s very little. Anya doubts the girl is older than six. Once the girls wake up, she’ll ask.

Anya sets the bottle of water between her legs. If she would have a stick or something that she could use to row things would be easier. Her father possibly drowned and the others might not have made it to the life boats. It may take a while before a search party comes to look for them. Even if the others didn’t make it, surely Octavia’s parents would alarm someone when they realize their kid isn’t home yet. They were supposed to go home in two or three days, so even in the worst case, someone would start looking for them after three or perhaps four days. It’s a small spark of hope, but hope nonetheless.

The girls open their eyes when the sun begins to rise. Anya is exhausted but now is not the time to sleep. She promised her father she would look after the girls.

Clarke wipes some tears away. The last time she saw her parents was back at the cabin, when they promised her they would be back as soon as possible. They had kissed her forehead and left. Now she is not sure if she will ever see them again.

Anya takes her time to inhale and exhale. She hates how Clarke and Octavia keep crying but she can’t get mad at them for it. They’re missing their family, Anya understands that, she misses her father too. Anya is thankful that her sister is there with her. She’s not sure if her father is still alive, but her sister is.

Anya takes the bottle of water and shows it to the girls. “I found this floating around.” She opens the cap and holds the bottle in front of Octavia. “Drink.” Anya carefully lifts the bottle upwards while the younger girl drinks.

When Octavia took a few sips, she passes the bottle on to the other girls. Anya will drink last.

“You’re Octavia, right?” Anya eyes the younger girl next to her who nods. “How old are you?” Not that it is relevant, but she’s curious to know.

Octavia fidgets with her fingers. “Eight.”

Anya is a bit surprised to hear that. She could have sworn the younger girl wouldn’t be a day older than six. The girl is so tiny and little, so fragile and weak. Anya can see her shivering. Their clothes are still wet. Everyone shivers a bit, but some try to hide it.

“Okay girls, keep your eyes open and if you see anything like a suitcase or something else we could use, let me know.” Anya points at the water. “Something like a chair can be helpful too.” If they find a chair they could use the legs of it to row or something.

 

* * *

 

 

Bellamy nudges Abby and Jake.

Jake opens his eyes. “What is it, Bellamy?”

Bellamy points at the water. “I saw something over there.”

Abby opens her eyes too and yawns a bit. They didn’t mean to fall asleep, but after shouting for most of the night, they had been so exhausted that they had fallen asleep.

Jake helps Lincoln row to where Bellamy is pointing.

There are things in the water like chairs, pillows, bottles and a bunch of other things. Abby scoops the bottles out of the water.

Jake faces Bellamy. “What is it that you saw?” He looks around the water. Perhaps Bellamy was talking about the bottles and other things that are floating around.

“I uh… I think it was a person.”

Abby and Jake sit up straight. Maybe Bellamy has seen one of the children. There appears to be some movement behind a suitcase, just a few clicks away. Jake and Lincoln quickly row to inch closer to the suitcase.

When they’re close enough, they see one arm slung over the suitcase. The person behind it must have been trying to hold on to it. Jake and the crew member who’s sitting in the life boat work together to pull the person into the boat. It’s a tight squeeze now that there are six of them in the boat when it was said that it is only made for four to five people.

“Uncle Gustus!” Lincoln recognizes him right away.

Gustus appears to be unconscious. Abby, who is a doctor, checks his vitals. “He is still breathing, but the cold water cooled his body down a lot.”

Jake looks at his wife and at Gustus. “It’s amazing that he is still breathing, he must have been in the water all night.” He takes his sweater off and helps his wife to take off Gustus’s soaked shirt, to replace it with the sweater.

Jake shivers a little bit now that he only has his shirt, which he had been wearing underneath his sweater, but right now he doesn’t care. Gustus needs his sweater more.

Gustus blinks his eyes open. He is freezing. Surprise hits him when he sees that he is no longer in the water. He is one of the life boats and he isn’t alone, plus he’s wearing a sweater, which is dry and warm.

Gustus looks at Jake. “Thank you.” He looks at the others. “All of you, for finding me and helping me.”

Abby tries not to freak out this time. “You must be exhausted, but I have to know…” A tear rolls over her cheek. “Did you see our daughter? Did you see anyone at all?” Her voice is shaking.

Bellamy digs his nails in his arms. “I… my… my sister d-did you see her?”

Gustus wants to close his eyes again. His eyelids feel so heavy. All night he had tried not to drown. When he found the suitcase in the water, he had slung his arm around it and passed out shortly after. He wants to close his eyes, but he can feel the desperation from the others, their need for answers.

“After the ship went down, I found a door.” Gustus swallows thickly. “I saw the girls.” He decides to leave out the part where Octavia nearly drowned, not wanting to worry them further.

“Where are they?” Abby cuts in before Gustus can finish.

Jake holds his wife. “Abby, let him explain. He is clearly exhausted, give him a moment.”

Abby sighs. Her husband is right. “I’m sorry, please go on.”

“I reached the girls with the door I found.” Gustus tries to keep his eyes open, just a little longer. “I placed the girls on top of the door and I pushed them away when another wave was closing in. My daughter, Anya, promised she will look after them. I lost them after that.”

Abby cries. “Do you hear that, Jake?” Her voice is a bit broken. “They’re alive, they have to be.”

Jake looks at Gustus. “Thank you for what you did.” He is grateful. Gustus risked his life to save them. Without him, the girls wouldn’t have made it through the night. Now there is hope that they did.

“Heyyyy!” Someone in the distance is screaming, followed by more screams.

Lincoln squints his eyes. “It’s the other life boat!”

The other life boat approaches theirs, two of Gustus’s crew members are in it. Gustus looks at them. When he asks about his last crew member, they shake their heads and whisper ‘ _drowned_.' Lincoln helps the crew members to attach their life boats with some rope. Gustus and Lincoln step into the other life boat to join the two crew members, giving everyone some more space in the boats. Gustus gives his crew members some orders before passing out.

Jake and Abby thankfully accept some food the crew members give them. They had been smart enough to take some food with them. One of the crew members informs them that they should arrive at the shore in two days and that there is a chance the girls are there, and if they’re not, a search party will be organized.

Abby looks at her husband. “I should have listened to you, you tried to warn me about the weather.”

 

* * *

 

 

Clarke’s eyes widen. “I see an island, over there!” She points her index finger behind the other girls. “Right there!”

Anya turns around to look. Clarke is right, there is an island. “Okay girls, listen up!” Anya raises her hands. “Cup your hands into half a moon, like this.” She cups her hands to show them and waits for them to do the same.

Lexa seems to get the message and nods at her sister. “Place your hands into the water and move them like this.” She puts her hands in the water and moves them at a steady pace, showing them how to use their arms to row. “Lexa and I will take the left side, the others take the right.”

They’re lying down on the door, on their stomachs. The water is calm. They row with their arms for a while. Octavia is the first to complain that she is tired.

Anya sighs. This is not going to be easy. “We will take a short break.”

Octavia tugs at Anya’s shirt. “I’m hungry.”

“I know.” Anya sighs again. She’s hungry too, they all are. She has no idea what time it is, but if she has to take a wild guess it is probably noon or later. “We will eat once we are on that island.” She has no idea what’s on the island, but there has to be something to eat. Perhaps there are people there who can help them.

Raven looks at the watch on her wrist. “2pm” she mumbles.

Lexa chuckles. “Looks like our tech girl is wearing her fancy watch.”

Raven sticks her tongue out. “It is waterproof and cool, okay.” She is proud of her watch. It tells time and what temperature it is.

Anya rolls her eyes. Of course Raven has her watch on her. That girl never goes anywhere without at least a piece of technology. “Do you have anything else on you?”

Raven digs into her pockets. “I have a Swiss pocket knife.” She pulls it out of her pocket and hands it to Anya. Raven sits up and takes off her boots, revealing two short blades she had in there.

Anya lets out a raspy laugh. “Seriously Rae, a Swiss pocket knife and two blades? What were you planning to do with those?”

Raven shrugs. “Might always come in handy.”

Okay, Anya has to hand her that she has a point. “Alright girls, we just have to row a little bit more.” She puts her arms into the water and rows.

When the island is not so far away anymore, Anya jumps into the water to push the door. Lexa jumps in next to her, to help her. Octavia doesn’t get off the door until it is on the sand on the island.

The island shows no signs of life, it must be deserted.

“There is some stuff over there.” Lexa points at a few things that washed up on the island.

The girls walk up to it to see what it is. There is a suitcase with some clothes. It looks like the suitcase belonged to Abby. It’s filled with female clothes that are too big for the girls, but they’ll make it work.

“Okay girls.” Anya takes a few of the clothes and hands them to the girls. “Turn around, take your wet clothes off and put these on.”

The girls do what Anya says. Clarke doesn’t like it very much to be bossed around by her, but Gustus pretty much assigned Anya as their guardian. They chuckle when they turn around again to look at each other.

Octavia is wearing a red shirt with long sleeves which is so big for her that it looks like she’s wearing a dress. Clarke is wearing a white shirt with buttons which looks more like she’s wearing a lab coat. Lexa is wearing a black tank top which looks like a dress. Anya is wearing a grey blouse that is a few sizes too big and some shorts which threaten to fall around her ankles. Raven is wearing a white shirt, which she has tied a knot in, right above her belly button and brown shorts which she has wrapped around herself with rope that she’s utilizing as a belt.

Anya looks at Raven. “You have rope?” She hopelessly holds the shorts she’s wearing in her hands.

“Yeah, it was in my pocket.” Raven shows Anya the small roll of rope she has and cuts off a piece for Anya.

Anya takes the piece of rope to use it as a belt for the shorts she’s wearing. It’s a bit clumsy, but better than nothing. “Don’t toss your wet clothes aside in a ball, spread them out properly and the sun will dry them.” She is thankful for the sun which feels nice and warm.

Clarke ruffles through the suitcase and pulls out some socks. “Here, socks.” She hands a pair to each one of them.

Anya ruffles through the rest of the suitcase. It has plenty of clothes, some towels and a few little things like a hairbrush.

“There is some more stuff over here.” Lexa walks into the water and drags another suitcase onto the sand. She clicks it open. It appears to be filled with blankets and sheets.

“This is good.” Anya takes the suitcase. “We can use these to make hammocks.”

“I’m still hungry.” Octavia groans while her stomach rumbles.

“Okay, follow me. We don’t know this island and the first rule is stick together.” Anya faces the girls with a stoic look on her face. “Nobody wanders off, is that clear?”

The girls nod and follow Anya, carrying the suitcases together.

They find some bushes with fruit. Raven helps Lexa to turn a shirt into a bag, while Clarke and Octavia pick the fruit from the bushes. There are banana trees and coconut trees. Anya takes one of the blades, puts it in her mouth and climbs up one of the trees. Right now she really appreciates everything her father has taught her and her sister. He has taught them so much about survival and they often went camping together.

Anya reaches the top and cuts off some coconuts. Lexa climbs in another tree to cut off some bananas.

Octavia stares at them with her mouth open. Raven chuckles. “They’re used to climbing trees.” She waves it off and grabs Octavia’s and Clarke’s wrist so they can step out of the way.

Anya and Lexa carefully slide down the trees. “Clarke and Octavia, you two will carry the fruit.”

“I think I hear water.” Clarke looks around. When the others laugh, she continues. “I’m not talking about the sea, I think I hear a waterfall or something.”

“Clarke is right, I hear it too.” Lexa steps into the direction where the sound is coming from.

Anya nods. “We will check it out.”

 

* * *

 

 

The waterfall is small, but perfect for when they want to take a shower. The water can be used to drink as well. Anya feels relieved to know that so far they have clothes, food, water, blankets and sheets. Things could have been worse.

The girls stumble upon some bamboo. Anya and Lexa cut off some of the bamboo. They carry everything back to where they left their door. Anya keeps Octavia close to her while she tries to build a hut for them. She allows Lexa to collect leaves and other things with Clarke and Raven, thus breaking the first rule she made about sticking together, but right now Anya doesn’t care because she wants this to be done before the night falls.

Anya uses Raven’s rope to tie the bamboo together. She picks out an open spot with a few shorter trees and decides she’ll build the hut around the trees. The trees can be used for the hammocks.

“Octavia, collect some sticks, but don’t walk away too far.” Anya motions to some nearby trees. “No further than those.”

Octavia nods and steps away to look for sticks. She places them in her tiny arms and carries them back to Anya.

Lexa returns with Clarke and Raven. Clarke and Octavia eat some of the fruit while Lexa and Raven make the hammocks.

“Bellamy is still out there.” Octavia looks sad.

“I know, but he will be safe. My parents are still out there too.”

“Do you think they will come look for us?”

Clarke smacks her lips while she thinks. “I think they will, they won’t leave us.”

Lexa sits down next to Clarke and Octavia. “I will show you how to tie the rope.” She holds up some rope to show them how it is done.

Raven grabs two sticks and rubs them together to create fire. Octavia smiles a little while she looks at Raven, Anya and Lexa.

“We are lucky that they are with us.” Octavia whispers to Clarke while pointing at the other girls.

Clarke nods. She wishes her parents would be with them, but the other girls seem to know what they’re doing.

 

* * *

 

 

The girls are sitting around the campfire. It is darker now that the night is falling. Anya is trying to make spears. She uses one of the blades to carve them. The spears will be handy to fish. The hut doesn’t look so strong but it will get them through the night and they can make it stronger tomorrow.

Octavia falls asleep around the campfire, when Anya picks her up and lays her down in one of the hammocks, she freezes a little when the younger girl sleepily mumbles ‘ _mommy '_   with her eyes still closed. She is not her mother, she is not even her sister or her friend. Anya takes one of the blankets and drapes it over Octavia.

When she walks back to the campfire, the other girls are rubbing their eyes. “Okay girls, time to get some sleep.” She motions towards their hut.

Anya realizes that they only have four hammocks. Clarke was supposed to share with Octavia, but if she crawls in now, she might wake the younger girl. Not that Anya cares about that, but she tells herself she doesn’t want Octavia to wake up and cry again.

Lexa offers to share with Clarke. Lexa stiffens a bit when Clarke cuddles up with her, but finds herself relaxing quickly. She doesn’t like to be close to people unless it is her sister Anya or her father Gustus, but Clarke has a calming effect on her. When Clarke smiles at her, she doesn’t mind sharing at all.

Anya finds it difficult to sleep. Here she is, on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere with her sister Lexa, her friend Raven and then of course Clarke and Octavia. She’s not sure what she expected to happen when her father hoisted them all on top of that door. The moment her father asked her to look after the younger girls, she knew it wasn’t going to be good. Maybe the others will wash up on the island too. She closes her eyes and tries to sleep, until she hears someone cry. Anya crawls out her hammock and finds Octavia. The younger girl must have woken up. Anya doesn’t care. Why would she care? She doesn’t even know this girl. Anya scoops Octavia up in her arms and sings to her until the younger girl falls asleep. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anya has awkward moments on the island with the girls when she tries to explain things to them.

Gustus accepts the bottle that Jake is holding out to him. “We should be back at the shore before nightfall.” He fishes a compass out of his pocket. “We’re headed in the right direction.”

Jake smiles weakly. “That is good news.” He takes a sip from the bottle in his hand. “I hope the girls will make it there too.”

“If the girls don’t arrive at the shore, we will arrange a search party.”

Abby is holding Bellamy and stroking his back. “We will find your sister, Bellamy.”

Bellamy looks up at Abby with teary eyes. “I told her I would protect her.” He shakes his head. “My parents will be upset with me.”

Abby places her right hand underneath Bellamy’s chin. “Hey, listen to me.” She wishes she could do more for the boy. “None of this is your fault, Bellamy.”

Jake gratefully accepts some snacks from Gustus’s crew members and offers one to Bellamy. “You should eat something.” He smiles kindly at the boy.

The sun is high up the sky. It is their second day of floating around. The current weather is a big difference compared to the storm.

Abby wishes she would have listened to her husband. He had tried to warn her when they were still at home, when they still had time to decide not to board the ship. She always thought he worried too easily. Jake was always protective over their daughter. If Clarke scraped her knee, Abby had to reassure him that it was not something she would need stiches for and when Clarke would get a cold, she had to assure her husband that they didn’t need to rush her to the hospital. Abby always tried to reason with him.

As a doctor Abby was a little harder on Clarke sometimes. She was never quick to let Clarke take medicines when she got sick, much to Jake’s displeased comments she would always get. When Clarke had told them how badly she wanted to explore the sea, Abby had been surprised how fast her husband had said yes. When she saw the smile on her daughter’s face, she understood why her husband had been so fast to say yes. He always struggled to say no to Clarke.

Abby had made arrangements with the hospital she works at, to have a week off. It took her husband a lot to convince her. She has always been a workaholic. Clarke was growing up so fast and that was what had convinced her to agree to the trip. When Clarke said she wanted her friends, the Blake siblings to join them, Abby went to talk to Bellamy’s and Octavia’s parents. Upon hearing that the ship wasn’t really big, she knew that she couldn’t take Bellamy’s and Octavia’s parents with them. Abby ensured them she would keep an eye on Bellamy and Octavia.

Abby drinks a bit, the sun is making her throat dry. She hopes the girls aren’t getting dehydrated. Considering Gustus informed them how the girls were on top of a door, it isn’t likely that they would have anything to drink or eat at all. She hopes they are okay. Clarke is a child and the other girls are children too. She can’t get on that shore fast enough to see if the girls made it there.

 

* * *

 

 

Anya opens her eyes. She’s in her hammock with Octavia in her arms. Last night when the younger girl cried, she had scooped her in her arms and sang her to sleep. Not wanting the girl to cry again, she had crawled in her hammock with the younger girl in her arms. Not that she cares if Octavia cries or not. She did it so she could sleep in silence.

Lexa is up and she’s standing next to Anya, a grin plastered on her face, giving her older sister a knowing look.

Anya groans softly. “We will not speak of this.” She glares at her younger sister.

Lexa chuckles. “Fine.” She lifts her hands up.

Lexa knows her sister. She knows Anya is tough, but inside she’s such a softie. Her sister would never admit that, but Lexa knows. When she was younger, her sister would sing to her when she couldn’t sleep. Lexa heard how her sister sang for Octavia when the younger girl was crying. She knows her sister assumed everyone was sleeping, but she wasn’t. Her eyes had been closed, but she heard. Lexa knows that Anya would look over them like a mother duck watches over her ducklings.

Anya gently stirs Octavia until she opens her eyes. She crawls out her hammock and reaches her arms out to pick Octavia up.

Raven leans on Lexa’s shoulder. “Aw, cute.” Her typical signature smirk appears on her face.

Anya growls. “I’m only picking her up because my hammock is a bit too high for her.” It is true. Her hammock is a bit higher up, while Octavia’s is lower to the ground. “She can’t crawl out of it on her own.” She puts Octavia down.

Anya looks at Lexa and Raven. “Where is that little blonde?”

“She is outside, she said she would prepare breakfast.” Lexa turns around. “I gave her my blade.”

Anya’s eyes widen. “You gave her your blade?” This is unbelievable. She grumbles. “Let’s go outside.” Anya grabs her blade and carves a stripe in one of the trees in their hut. It is how she keeps track of each day they are there, a way to keep track of time.

Clarke is sitting on the sand, chopping fruit into pieces on a shirt. Anya snatches the blade out of her hands.

The girls sit down on the sand and eat some of the fruit. Anya decides she will make a few things like bowls, uncertain of how long they will be on the island. She stands up and grabs a spear.

“Stand up.” Anya motions for the girls to stand up and hands them each a spear. “Follow me.”

Anya walks up to the sea. Octavia stops when the water washes over her tiny feet. Right, the younger girl can’t swim, but Anya doesn’t plan to go deep at all. Up to their waist should be deep enough. Although Octavia is very little, so that would be up to her shin in her case. She doesn’t want to be stuck on an island with a child who can’t swim.

“Lexa, you will help Raven and Clarke. Teach them how to use those spears to fish.” Anya is yet again grateful for everything their father has taught them. Bless his soul. He taught them so much about survival, always preparing them. “Okay Octavia, I will teach you how to swim, take my hand.” She reaches her left hand out to the girl while standing knee deep in the water.

If Octavia gets in now, the water should reach up to her waist. Anya wonders how she got herself in this situation with such a little squirt. Sometimes she called Lexa that, since she towers one head above Lexa. Compared to Lexa, Octavia is the ultimate squirt. The younger girl and her younger sister only have a two years age difference, yet Lexa is one head taller than Octavia, as is Clarke.

Octavia shakes her head. She doesn’t want to get in the water. After everything that happened, she is scared to get into the water. Anya rolls her eyes and resists the urge to simply drag the younger girl into the water.

“Okay.” Anya steps out the water and kneels down next to Octavia. “How about we take one step at a time.” She sets one of her own feet into the water. “Like this, can you do that for me?”

Octavia bites her lip and nods. Her left foot drops into the water.

Anya grasps Octavia’s hand. “I will not let you go. You are safe.” She sets her other foot into the water. Her eyes soften when the younger girl follows suit.

Okay, this is a start Anya thinks to herself. She eyes the younger girl. “The water can’t hurt you.” Anya points at Lexa, Clarke and Raven who are bit further into the water, the water coming up to their waist. “See, they are in the water too.”

Octavia follows Anya into the water until the water is up to her waist. Then she stops.

Clarke runs over to Octavia and playfully splashes water at the younger girl.

“Hey!” Octavia shrieks and splashes water back at Clarke.

Anya shifts her eyes to Lexa. “You are doing such a great job to teach Clarke how to spear a fish.”

“It is not my fault that she would rather splash water, perhaps it has to do with the fact that she is a child?” Lexa tilts her head and challenges her sister.

Clarke turns around. “Lexa! You are my age!”

Lexa shrugs. “I never said I am not a child too.”

“Look girls, I know you’re all children, but it is essential that you learn a thing or two about survival.” Anya sighs deeply. This is not how she wishes to spend her time.

Anya decides to take Octavia to the waterfall on the island. The water there is not deep at all and it probably doesn’t reach higher than right beneath Octavia’s chin, at most. “Lexa, you’re in charge here while I go to the waterfall with Octavia.” She gives her sister a stern look. “Don’t go any deeper into the water.”

“Hey I’m older than Lexa!” Raven crosses her arms. “I should be in charge.”

“I make the rules and I say Lexa is in charge.” Anya shakes her head. She is not going to put Raven in charge. “Look Rae, I know you’re a smart kid, but Lexa has more survival skills.”

 

* * *

 

 

“See Octavia, the water barely goes above my knees, you can stand here.” Anya is standing in the river on the island, the small waterfall behind her. She’s waiting for Octavia to get in.

Octavia slowly gets into the water. The water is a bit warm. The shirt she’s wearing flows around her tiny body.

“I will hold you and teach you how to float, okay?” Anya stretches her arms out for Octavia.

“Okay.” Octavia nods and allows Anya to place her on her back.

Anya holds her arms under the younger girl. She feels like teaching her how to float on her back will be an easy start, something she should learn quickly. Then when she can do that, she’ll teach her how to swim. Anya wonders how much Octavia’s parents must have coddled her like she’s a baby if she can’t even swim. Clarke is Octavia’s friend and she can swim. It seems weird that Octavia can’t.

Octavia feels the water around her. She likes how Anya is helping her. Anya is nice to her. She has held her in her arms when she lost her life vest. When Anya’s father saved her from drowning, Anya took off her own life vest to give it to her. Last night when she cried, Anya sang to her and rocked her in her arms until she fell asleep. Octavia thinks about how scary Anya looked the first time she saw her on the ship, but now she feels safe when she is close to Anya. She feels like Anya will protect her, like a mother does. Octavia trusts her. She is not afraid anymore.

A smile tugs at Anya’s lips as Octavia relaxes and floats. When the girl manages to float without Anya’s help, she feels a little bit proud.

Anya flips Octavia carefully onto her stomach and explains to her how she has to move her arms. She settles the younger girl back down onto her feet and shows her how it is done, by swimming around a bit. Octavia nods and tries to copy her.

After a while, Anya decides it is enough for today. They should go back towards the sea to check up with the other girls who hopefully managed to spear some fishes. Anya lets Octavia hop onto her back and walks towards the sea with her.

Anya sees the girls dragging some stuff onto the sand. “Where did you get that chair?” Lexa has a chair in her hands and is placing it down onto the sand.

Lexa gestures towards the water. “More stuff is washing up, must be from the ship.”

Anya peers into the water. Her sister is right, more stuff is floating around in the water and it does look like things from the ship. “Okay girls, pull everything onto the sand.” She walks into the water to retrieve as much as she can.

Raven cheers when she finds a suitcase filled with snacks and food. The life boats are nowhere to be seen, they must have made it back to the shore, hopefully. There has to be hope that the adults made it. Raven hopes Gustus made it. He took her in when her mother nearly managed to make her an orphan.

 

* * *

 

 

Clarke looks at Lexa’s braided her. She had seen how Anya had braided it for her. Clarke wishes she would have a sister too, but she never had any siblings. Octavia is the closest she has to a sister. She wonders if her parents are still alive. If her parents are gone then she has no family left. Octavia has her parents at home and maybe Bellamy made it to the life boats. Lexa and Anya have each other. Sadness overwhelms her.

Lexa wraps her arms around Clarke. The blonde girl is crying and Lexa wants to help her. She already knows what’s wrong, she doesn’t have to ask to know. Lexa softly strokes Clarke’s hair.

Clarke’s teary blue eyes meet Lexa’s cool green eyes. “Can you braid my hair?” She curls her fingers in her blonde hair with a hopeful look on her face.

Lexa smiles and nods. She waits for Clarke to sit in front of her.

“Does your sister braid your hair a lot?”

“Yes, she does, Clarke.”

“Do you have a mother, Lexa?”

Lexa sighs while she waves her fingers through Clarke’s hair. “I used to have a mother.”

“What happened to her?”

Lexa was never much one to share. Usually people didn’t really ask her things. Clarke is different, her curiosity is always present. “She died when I was a few months old, I never knew her.”

“My dad told me that sometimes people remember things from when they were really young.” Clarke chuckles. “I remember how my dad made silly faces.” She pauses for a few seconds. “Do you remember anything about your mother, Lexa?”

“I remember the smell of her perfume.” Lexa finishes braiding Clarke’s hair and taps her shoulder to let her know she’s done. When Clarke turns around, she explains more. “A year ago I found a few things. There was a bottle of perfume and I told my father I recognized the smell. Then he told me it was my mother’s perfume.”

“Do you miss your father?”

Lexa nods. Yes, she misses her father. She doesn’t even know if he is still alive or not.

“I miss my dad too and my mom. I also miss my friend, Bellamy.”

Lexa stands up and takes Clarke’s hand. “It will be okay.” A small smile appears on her face. Sadness plagues her thoughts, but for Clarke she will smile. Clarke is her friend.

Clarke smiles back at Lexa and hugs her. Lexa has been kind to her. In the water, it was Lexa who held her hand. In the morning, she brushed Lexa’s hair and Lexa brushed hers. When Anya had only allowed them one snack, Lexa had secretly given her another. Clarke knew Lexa had given her own snack up, but she said nothing about that. In return Clarke had picked the berries that Lexa seemed to like a lot.

 

* * *

 

 

“It feels good to be back but I wish the girls would be here too.” Jake helps Gustus to pull the life boats onto the shore.

Gustus sighs. His ship is gone. They haven’t been able to retrieve anything at all. Everything he had on his ship is lost at sea, just like his daughters, Raven and the two other little girls, Clarke and Octavia. They could be dehydrated by now.

“The children are still out there.” Abby bites back her tears but fails to do so. “If we don’t find them fast, they won’t survive more than a week, maybe a week and a half if we’re lucky!” She freaks out again. How can she not freak out? Her daughter is lost at sea, so is Octavia and Gustus’s daughters.

Jake strokes Abby’s back. “Abby please, we are all worried but yelling won’t make them appear next to us.” He’s tired. The trip didn’t turn out the way it should have.

“But Jake, it has been two days already!” Abby’s voice shouts louder.

“I know, Abby. Right now we are losing valuable time by standing here. We have to arrange search parties for them and we have to talk to Bellamy’s and Octavia’s parents.”

“I’m sorry, you’re right.”

Abby takes Bellamy home and talks with his parents about what happened. She is shocked when they freak out worse than she did, but she can’t blame them. She had convinced them to let Bellamy and Octavia join their daughter for the trip and now she was only able to return Bellamy safely to them while their little girl is lost at sea.

Jake stays with Gustus to make arrangements for the search party. He makes a few phone calls.

Abby calls the hospital and they grant her a few more days to stay home. Well she won’t really stay home, she will be back at sea on a big boat, to help look for her daughter and the other girls.

Gustus pulls some strings and manages to let someone fly a helicopter, to fly over the sea. It’s a stretch since the sea is very big and the girls could be anywhere by now, but they have to try.

They search and search without results.

A week has passed since they lost the girls. All they found so far is a few broken pieces of the ship.

A week later they all cry when the police tell them that the chance to see the girls alive ever again is now slim to none. They know it is possible that the girls didn’t make it, but they refuse to give up hope.

News reporters flock around them, wanting their story.

People prepare a wake and place candles close to the beach. Some people leave stuffed animals. Jake holds his wife’s hand. He promises he’ll never stop searching for the girls.

Gustus gives Jake a handful of numbers he can call, for when he has spare time and needs to get on a ship or a boat. He promises he will never stop searching either.

The news spreads out and gets aired in multiple countries.

 

* * *

 

 

Anya gets up and carves her blade into the tree. Fourteen stripes, two weeks.

Clarke is smiling while Lexa brushes her hair. She likes her. Lexa had speared a fish one day, pushed her spear in Clarke’s arms and told Anya that Clarke was the one who speared it. Lexa did that multiple times until Anya busted them and growled a bit at them. Clarke liked how Lexa would splash Anya with water, to make Clarke laugh and how Lexa had made her a flower crown once.

Lexa puts the brush down. “All done.” She smiles and waits for Clarke to brush her hair.

Clarke brushes Lexa’s hair and looks at the red dress Lexa is wearing. “You are pretty.” She places a flower in Lexa’s hair.

Lexa’s cheeks turn pink. “Shush.” She gives Clarke a soft push.

“Alright girls, let’s go outside.” Anya marches outside. “Sit.” She gestures to the chairs that are standing outside their hut.

Clarke groans. “Ugh Anya, why do you care if we learn more, we’re not at school, we’re on an island!” She is annoyed how Anya has been schooling them a bit every day.

“Your parents would want you to be able to keep up with things for when we’re home again. I’m sure they would appreciate it that you keep learning new things, like you would learn things in school.”

Clarke crosses her arms. “Who says we will ever see them again anyway?” The words slip out before she’s thinking about what she’s saying. When Octavia cries, she feels bad. “I’m so sorry, O. I didn’t mean it like that… of course we will see them again.”

Anya leans on her chair. Clarke is such a stubborn little girl. She reminds her of Lexa. She is going to be a piece of work. Anya isn’t particularly fond of her, but Lexa seems to like her. Those two are always running around together. Anya wonders if there is ever a day where Octavia won’t cry, although it is Clarke’s fault that she is crying right now.

“Octavia.” Anya waves the girls towards her. “You are hurt, but your tears are for nothing. Your tears will not take you home.” She wipes the younger girl’s tears away.

Clarke is not pleased with Anya’s words to Octavia. Her face looks like she wants to fight Anya.

Lexa stands up and grasps Octavia’s wrist. “Anya please, she is but a child.” She pulls the younger girl towards her.

“In order to survive, we all have to be tough, Lexa.” Anya thinks Lexa is doing this for Clarke. Her sister has never been bothered before by any of her actions. “Maybe I was a little bit harsh.” She is not their mother, she will never be their mother, but right now she is the closest thing the girls have to a parent.

 

* * *

 

 

“You can do it, Octavia.” Anya stands in the water and waits for Octavia. The younger girl gets in and swims. “That’s it!” In her enthusiasm, she gets a bit carried away. “That’s my girl!”

Anya is proud that after a month on the island, Octavia had finally learned how to swim. She feels like a big sister who just saw her little sister accomplish something.

Octavia smiles widely. “Did you see me?” She puts her little arms up in the air like a champion.

Anya picks her up and places her on her hip. “I saw you.” She can’t help but smile.

Octavia wiggles until Anya puts her down. She runs over to Clarke. “Sister taught me to swim, I can swim!”

Octavia has been calling Anya sister every now and then. At first it made Anya cringe a bit, but she didn’t mind it anymore. Plus the term wasn’t only used on her. Octavia has been referring to all the girls as her sisters. Clarke had no problem with that at all. Lexa didn’t seem to mind either, but Anya is suspicious that Lexa only doesn’t mind it because Clarke doesn’t. Raven had given Octavia a weird look at first, but eventually mumbled something like ‘ _cool then I’m not an orphan.’_

Clarke lifts one hand up in the air. “High five, O.” The girls chuckle when Octavia jumps up, trying to give Clarke a high five.

Anya runs over and picks Octavia up, so she can reach Clarke’s hand for the high five.

Clarke pouts. “Hey, that’s cheating!”

Octavia giggles.

Raven tosses them some snacks. They still had a few left. “My sister is the cutest.” She hands Octavia a snack and grins at her. Back on the ship she would have never guessed to be friends with the younger girl, but here on the island they became friends and sisters.

“Are you girls ready to spear some fishes today?” Anya grabs her spear. “Oh and Lexa, no cheating by pretending the fishes you spear would be Clarke’s.”

Lexa scoffs. “I do no such thing.” She takes her spear and heads for the water.

“Lexa, I literally caught you doing just that, more than once.”

Lexa chooses to ignore her sister’s comments and walks into the water. The other girls follow her.

Octavia reaches a point where the water brushes against her lips. Anya grasps her wrist and pulls her back a bit. She’s confused. “I can swim.” She doesn’t know why Anya would pull her back.

“Uh yeah of course, Octavia.” Anya whips her hair over her shoulder. “I just don’t want a wave to drag you into the sea.”

Raven chuckles loudly. “Anya that is the worst excuse ever.” She splashes some water at her. “The water is still.”

“You never know when a wave may appear, Rae.”

Raven nudges Anya. “Come on, you obviously care.” She looks at Octavia in the water. “It’s okay to care, you know? I care too.”

Anya commands them to be still so they won’t scare the fishes away. She shows them how to use their spears.

 

* * *

 

 

Jake rests his head in his hands. He has been dreading this day. Today there is a memorial for the girls. It has been two years since they lost the girls and they still haven’t found them.

There is a stack of letters on the kitchen counter. The girls had been declared as deceased, much against his will and the other parent’s will. Since then people had been sending letters with their condolences. Jake hated reading them. The people who sent them all meant well, but he refuses to accept that his daughter is dead. He refuses to accept that the other girls are dead.

It hasn’t been easy. Abby has returned to be a workaholic again. She drowns herself into her work so she doesn’t have to think about what happened. Jake wishes he would be able to talk more with his wife, but she has been shutting him out quite a bit. Losing their daughter at sea has strained their marriage. Jake doesn’t blame his wife. The day he lost his daughter at sea, he lost a part of his heart. The house felt too empty without Clarke. His daughter was always a bundle of light. When he got home, she would rush into his arms and ask him to tell her stories.

Jake sips his coffee. His wife left a note on the refrigerator. According to the note, she’ll try to make it to the memorial at the beach. He shakes his head. It is doubtful that she will show up. Last year she didn’t go. When he asked her where she had been, she told him she got stuck at the hospital and that she had to work a few extra hours. Jake knows her story was not quite right. The hospital had offered to give her a few days off, which she refused without further ado.

He meets up at the beach with Gustus. The man had just returned from yet another trip with his new ship, desperately looking for the girls. Bellamy’s parents rush over to Gustus, asking if he found Octavia. It pained Jake every time to see the helpless look on Gustus’s face. Gustus always tried to hide his emotions really well, Jake had to give him credit for that, but it was clear that Gustus is just as heartbroken as the rest of them when he shakes his head.

It felt like they were all on autopilot. Each time Gustus returned, they would ask him if he found the girls or anything at all. Then he would shake his head and promise again that he won’t stop looking. Jake knows the losses they all have. He lost his daughter. The Blakes lost their daughter. Gustus lost both his daughters and his old ship. Jake can’t imagine how much it must hurt to lose two children. On top of that, Gustus also lost Raven and he had been her legal guardian. So in a way, Gustus lost three children.

People are placing candles and stuffed animals onto the beach again. There are lesser people than last year. Jake thinks that as time goes on, others will forget. A few strangers mumble a few words of support. He tries to smile but it’s too hard.

 

* * *

 

 

Abby rushes into the hospital. A few colleagues whisper some condolences. She doesn’t want to hear it, not again. People pity her and it doesn’t make it any easier. She asks for a long shift. Her husband probably knows she won’t show up. She can’t do it. This one particular day brings the reality too close. She is tired of people telling her that her daughter is dead.

The first months Abby would snap at them, angry and hurt. She would tell them that her daughter is not dead. Nobody ever showed her a body. As long as nobody would show her a body, she wouldn’t believe that her daughter is dead. She is scared that one day somebody would knock on her door and tell her that they have found her daughter’s body.

Abby knows that if her daughter drowned, they won’t find her body. The sea is too big. There is no way they would ever be able to find her body. There was a time where Gustus had managed to collect a small team of divers. Gustus took them to the location where the ship sunk. That day Abby felt like she couldn’t breathe, terrified that the divers would find her daughter’s body and the bodies of the other girls. It was a mixture of bittersweet sadness and relief when they didn’t find anything, aside from the ship at the bottom of the sea.

The divers didn’t even find the body of Gustus’s crew member who had drowned, so she really wasn’t going to hold her breath that they would find anything. Abby picks up her clipboard and makes her way to her patients. Here at the hospital she can lives, something she failed to do with her own daughter and Octavia. She hopes that no matter what happened to her daughter, she didn’t suffer. If her daughter truly is dead, she hopes that she went without pain and she hopes the same for Octavia. Maybe she’ll never know.

Every now and then, a patient recognizes her from the news. She knows that today the news will shortly air it again. It’s a brief announcement, showing images of the girls, what they were wearing when they got lost at sea and how long they have been lost. As always, she won’t acknowledge what people say. She forgets the rest of the world for a while when she attends to her next patient. It is the only way she knows how to cope.

 

* * *

 

 

Anya sighs when she carves into the tree again. Two years on this island and nobody ever showed up. Not once did they spot a boat or anything at all. Perhaps it is futile to hope that they would ever be home again. The island wasn’t all that bad. The waterfall is nice to use as a shower. Their hut is bigger now than it was when they first got onto the island.

The girls had learned a lot more about survival skills. They learned how to spear a fish, how to climb trees and how to tie ropes, among other things. Anya was pleased with the progress they had been making.

Anya hears one of the girls scream. She quickly rushes outside to see who is screaming and to see what is going on. Outside the hut, Clarke is screaming and crying. She approaches the blonde.

“Clarke, why are you screaming like that?” Anya studies Clarke’s face. “What’s wrong?” She sees Lexa standing next to Clarke with a concerned look on her face.

“I’m dying.”

Anya furrows her eyebrows. “Why is that?” She’s confused, Clarke doesn’t look like she’s dying. It doesn’t look like something happened.

“I’m bleeding.” More tears roll over Clarke’s cheeks. When Anya still looks confused, Clarke points her finger between her legs. “There.”

Anya nearly falls down laughing.

“Anya, this is not funny!” Clarke’s face turns red from anger. “I’m serious! I’m bleeding and I’m going to die and you’re laughing!?”

Anya sighs. This is something she would have seen herself explaining to Lexa eventually in the future, but never did she think she would end up on this island, having to explain it to Clarke. It dawns to her that eventually she’ll have to explain it to the other girls as well.

“Okay girls, gather around.” Anya decides she wants to explain it to them all at once. There is no way she wants to do this four times.

Anya awkwardly explains menstruation to them and how this will happen to all of them eventually. In the two years she has been teaching them things from survival skills to basic school stuff, she never stopped to think to educate them about this.

Raven quietly admits that she has been getting her periods for a few months already, but that she didn’t want to tell them.

Lexa and Octavia crunch their nose at the information, especially at the part where Anya tells them why women get their periods.

 

* * *

 

 

The night is falling. They’re sitting around the campfire, chatting with each other. It is something they do every night.

Clarke is leaning against a tree with Lexa right next to her.

“I like you, Lexa.”

“I like you too, Clarke.”

Clarke smiles at Lexa. “Sometimes when people like each other, they kiss.” She takes Lexa’s hand.

Lexa looks up at Clarke. “You like all of us.” She tilts her head. “You want to kiss all of us?”

Clarke chuckles. “I mean sometimes when people like each other, they kiss each other on the lips and then they have a relationship.”

Lexa blushes. “Oh.” She bites her lip, wondering what Clarke is trying to tell her. “You want to kiss us all on the lips?”

“No, silly!” Clarke pushes Lexa. “I don’t want to kiss all of you.” She whispers into Lexa’s ear with a hushed tone. “Just you. I like you in a special way.”

Lexa’s cheeks turn scarlet. Clarke has been her friend for two years now and she really likes Clarke, but she never thought about kissing. Kissing was something that she saw adults do when she was younger and she would look away, thinking it is gross and weird.

“I like you in a special way too, Clarke.” Lexa stares into Clarke’s eyes.

Lexa slowly leans closer and feels relieved when Clarke does the same. Their lips meet halfway. Lexa is surprised how soft Clarke’s lips feel against hers. Maybe kissing isn’t so bad. Maybe it is not so gross and weird. Clarke smiles at her and kisses her again. Clearly she likes it too.

Anya clears her throat from across the campfire, making Lexa and Clarke jump up lightly. “I am so not explaining those things.” She awkwardly recalls her sexual education classes and there is no way she is going to explain those to the girls.

Lexa and Clarke look at her in confusion. Raven just grins. At this moment Anya feels grateful that there aren’t any boys with them, especially for times like when she educated the girls about menstruation.

Octavia points at Lexa and Clarke. “I thought girls kiss with boys.” Her gaze sets on Anya, looking for an answer.

Anya faces her and asks herself how she will explain this to Octavia. “Sometimes girls kiss girls and sometimes boys kiss boys. It depends on who you like.”

Octavia looks up. “Oh, so I have to kiss all of you?” She thinks she understands what Anya is trying to say.

Raven chuckles and falls onto her back. She enjoys moments like these.

Anya silently mutters something at Raven. “No, Octavia, it doesn’t work like that.” She sighs. This is definitely not what she expected herself to do on this island. “When people like each other like mommies and daddies do, they kiss.”

Raven has tears streaming down her face from laughing. When Anya elbows her all she can say is “I’m really not even sorry, this is too good.” She enjoys how Anya tries to explain things to Octavia in a cutesy way. One of the most glorious moments had been when Octavia asked Anya where babies come from and Anya had awkwardly mumbled something about eggs. Then the next thing she knows, Octavia found a small egg in some bird nest and she asked Anya if a baby would grow in her stomach if she would swallow it.

Octavia lets out a silent “oh.”

Since they expanded their hut, they have enough hammocks to each have their own. Yet that didn’t stop Lexa and Clarke from cuddling up together in one. Anya scoops Octavia up in her arms, placing her in her hammock and draping her blanket over her. Octavia had informed her that she was big enough to crawl into it on her own now, but most times that didn’t stop Anya from helping her.

Clarke nuzzles herself comfortably against Lexa.

“We are girlfriends now, Lexa.”

Lexa smiles. “How nice of you to ask.” Her voice is warm and husky.

Clarke chuckles. “Okay, fine. Lexa, will you be my girlfriend?” She puts one of her fingers up as a warning. “But you have to say yes.”

Lexa nods. A smile curves her lips. She kisses Clarke briefly on her lips. There is no way she can say no to Clarke. They have been inseparable for two years now.

“Goodnight, Clarke.”

“Goodnight, Lexa.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Anya, I think something is wrong with my stomach.” Lexa sighs. “I have a weird feeling there.”

Anya eyes her sister. “Does your stomach hurt?”

“No it doesn’t hurt.” Lexa shakes her head. “And I only feel it when I’m kissing Clarke or when Clarke cuddles with me or when she holds my hand.”

Anya chuckles. What has she gotten herself into on this island with the girls? They ask her the most bizarre things. “You are feeling butterflies in your stomach. When you really, really like someone, then you feel them.”

“So Clarke gives me butterflies?”

Anya nods. It sounds like that’s the case, from the description her sister gave her.

“If I open my mouth, will the butterflies fly out?”

Raven snorts from where she’s sitting. Moments like this make her love being on this island. She misses all her little gadgets and her technology, but when one of the girls is asking Anya the strangest things, it’s all worth it. She wishes she would have a recorder, so she can record it and play it over and over again.

“Uh…” Anya rubs her neck and looks frustrated at Raven. “What, you think you can explain this any better?” When Raven shuts up, she gives it another try to explain it to her sister. “You don’t actually have real butterflies in your stomach, people say it feels like butterflies in your stomach. It is a feeling like when you are happy or when you are sad, those are feelings too.”

Lexa slaps a hand in her own face. “Right, yes. I know that, I only asked you to check if you knew too.” She turns around and quickly runs away to find Clarke.

Raven is rolling onto the sand, laughing uncontrollably. “Psst Anya, my stomach hurts too now.” She rubs over her stomach.

Anya mouths a silent ‘ _I hate you.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awkward times for Anya.  
> So clexa happened. 
> 
> Today I spent fifteen hours on writing, so I hope it is not too bad. It is currently 5:50 in the morning for me, but I really wanted to get this chapter up, so here it is, enjoy! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone else ends up on the island.

Lexa looks out over the sea where Clarke is close to the water. She had spotted her easily after her awkward moment with her older sister. It would have been less awkward if Raven hadn’t been there to laugh about the whole situation. She is thankful to have her sister on the island with her. Sometimes her sister struggles, but she doesn’t show that to the other girls. She notices how every now and then at night, her sister goes outside.

There have been times where Lexa silently followed her outside and saw her sitting close to the campfire, quietly sobbing. She knows it isn’t easy for her sister. Their father might have drowned and there is no way to tell if any of the other adults or the boys made it. By now they might all be somewhere at the bottom of the sea. She watched plenty of times how Anya would console Octavia. She wishes she could help her sister. Her sister had been fourteen when they arrived on the island. She shouldn’t have to carry the responsibility of taking care of four children.

Lexa tried to help her sister as much as she could. If Octavia was crying, she would hurry to get to her first before Anya would stir and notice. She was once the girl who didn’t like to be close to anyone aside from her father and her sister. Now she is the girl who is stuck on an island with her sister, a girl she likes a lot and who she can now call her girlfriend and then of course Raven and Octavia who have been growing on her like sisters. She wonders what would happen if they would ever get home again. She hopes that if that happens, she will still be able to see the girls. Especially Clarke of course.

Lexa smiles when Clarke turns around and waves at her. Now Clarke will know she had been staring at her. She couldn’t help it, each time she had a chance, she would sneak glances of her. She runs up to Clarke who is holding something in her hands.

“Lexa, look.” Clarke stretches her hands out to Lexa to show what she has in them. “I found these.”

Lexa sees a bunch of shells in Clarke’s hand. “They look pretty.” The shapes and colors are a bit different for each shell.

Clarke cracks a smile. “I want to use them to decorate.” Her eyes meet Lexa’s eyes. “Do you think Anya will let me?”

“I am sure she will, Clarke.” Lexa nods. “I will talk to her about it.”

“I was thinking maybe we could make necklaces with the shells.”

“That is a good idea, Clarke.”

“Will you help me to collect some more shells?”

Lexa nods. Of course she will help Clarke.

“I will get a bowl, be right back.” Lexa winks at Clarke and runs off towards their hut to retrieve a bowl.

Lexa runs back with the bowl and Octavia. “Reinforcements!” She smiles as Clarke eagerly takes the bowl to put her shells in it.

 

* * *

 

 

Clarke really likes spending time with Lexa. She had seen from the corner of her eyes how Lexa had been watching her while she was collecting shells close to the water. She knew that Lexa would often stare at her from a distance. After a while she really wanted Lexa to approach her, so she had turned around to let Lexa know she was aware of her presence. She likes how Lexa went to retrieve a bowl for her shells and how she had brought Octavia with her.

Octavia is splashing some water at her. She has to retaliate. It is silly of the younger girl to splash water at her while she’s with Lexa. That always ends up in two against one while Octavia complains it isn’t fair. Sometimes Raven would rush in to help Octavia to even out the score. If it got to the point where Anya rushed in as well, then they were really in trouble. She sees Raven and Anya approaching. Ah yes, now they’re in trouble.

“Now, now you two.” Anya waves her index finger in front of Clarke and Lexa. “Two against one isn’t fair, now is it? And against the littlest one.” She takes her place next to Octavia who’s now grinning like she has already won. “How about we even it out a bit? Octavia is shorter than you two and I’m taller than you two, so us against you two that evens it out.”

Clarke shakes her head. She knows where this is going.

Raven sits down on the sand to watch the show.

Anya grabs Clarke, lifts her up and gets ready to toss her a bit further into the water. She always makes sure it isn’t too far, even though they can all swim.

“I would not do that if I was you.” Lexa grins while she is holding Octavia. “Put my girlfriend down and I will let this one here go.”

Anya laughs and tosses Clarke into the water anyway. Lexa gasps, tosses Octavia into the water and makes her way to retrieve Clarke.

Clarke grumbles at Anya while walking out of the water. “You could have tossed Lexa instead of me.”

Lexa pushes Clarke. “Hey!” So much for wanting to help Clarke. “Next time I will toss you there myself.”

“You wouldn’t, Lexa.”

Lexa snakes her hands around Clarke’s waist and reels her in for a kiss. “We will see about that.”

Clarke takes her bowl with the shells and walks back to their hut. Lexa follows her. They sit down so they can make necklaces for each other.

 

* * *

 

 

Anya nudges Raven. “Help me to move those two tree logs.” She points her finger to her right, where there are two tree logs. “We can put them outside our hut for when we sit around the campfire.”

“Good idea, Anya.” Raven looks around. “Where are the other girls?”

“They’re back in the hut, decorating and making necklaces with the shells they collected.”

Raven sighs. “Can you believe we have been here for two years already?” She puts her hands in the pockets of her shorts.

Anya shakes her head. “I never expected we would end up here on this island.”

“We got lucky to find this island though. Things could have been worse if we kept drifting around on that door.”

“At first I hoped the waves would take us closer to home again.”

“Yeah it kind of sucks. I miss my gadgets and all that sometimes, but at least we’re alive.” Raven’s voice is soft. “I’m glad I’m not alone here, but at the same time I wish there wouldn’t be five of us here.”

Anya nods. “I know what you mean. It is nice not to be alone, but I do wish the other girls wouldn’t be here. I wish they would have made it home. Back home to their families.”

“There is hope that we might all get back home again, with our families.”

“Possibly, but I don’t know, Rae.” Anya sits down on one of the logs. “My father and Lincoln might have drowned. I saw that last wave hitting my father, when he pushed our door to get us out of harm’s way.”

Raven sits down on the log next to Anya. “Hey, Anya.” She places one of her hands on Anya’s knee and squeezes gently. “We don’t know for sure if they drowned. Yes, we saw your father being hit by that last wave, but he is a strong man. There is a chance he made it. And even if he didn’t make it and if Lincoln didn’t make it, you will always have a family.”

Raven caresses Anya’s cheek. “You are not alone. Lexa is your sister and she is here, alive. I am here. Clarke is here. Octavia is here. We are all family now.” A few tears roll down Anya’s cheek, she wipes them away with her thumb. “You don’t have to be tough all the time, Anya.”

Anya bites her lips. She doesn’t like to cry in front of anyone. “The girls need me, I need to be strong for them.” Her tears stop escaping from her eyes. “I made a promise to my father.”

Raven takes Anya’s hands into her own. “Your father is a hero.” She traces soft circles on the back of Anya’s hands with her fingers. “It is okay to feel, Anya.”

Anya nods. “Pain will make me stronger.”

Anya’s lips are trembling. She hates being like this, it makes her feel so weak.

Raven cups Anya’s cheeks. “There is more than pain.” She leans close to Anya and breathes against her lips. “There is also love.”

Anya loses herself in Raven’s eyes. Her best friend Raven, the girl she can always talk to so easily. She feels like Raven is too grown up for her age. Maybe on this island, they all are, to some degree. The circumstances pretty much forced them to take care of themselves and to grow up. When she looks into Raven’s deep brown eyes, filled with warmth, compassion and understanding, she no longer sees that young girl she used to see.

Raven presses her lips softly against Anya’s lips, slow and patient, giving Anya the chance to pull away if she wants to. It is her first kiss. She never kissed anyone. There had always been something she really liked about Anya. Now as she is getting older, it feels right to kiss her.

Anya stiffens a bit at first, due to the sudden touch of Raven’s lips against hers. She is not used to anyone being this close into her personal space. It’s not her first kiss. When she was a bit younger, there had been a girl she got along with and that girl had been her first kiss. She was thirteen when she knew that she’s into girls, one year before the storm happened.

Anya had never considered to kiss Raven. Now she’s sitting here on a tree log on an island, and Raven is kissing her. She likes how this feels. There was never a time where she thought she would be kissing the sassy smart kid who skipped a few grades and ended up being in her class.

They continue to sit on the tree log for a while, kissing each other.

 

* * *

 

 

The campfire spreads a warm glow. Clarke and Lexa are sitting on one tree log with Octavia. Anya and Raven are sitting on the other tree log, their fingers entwined.

They are all warm, alive and smiling.

Anya looks at each of the girls, their hut and the campfire. She thinks that maybe, just maybe, they are already home. This island, these girls, all of this is home now. She looks at her sister who looks so happy, cuddling Clarke. It warms her heart. Her sister is so much like her.

Octavia pokes her feet into the sand and looks at the other girls. She tries to understand the connection the other girls have with each other as girlfriends.

The other girls promise that they will make sure Octavia won’t feel left out. They will make sure to spend plenty of time with her too.

 

* * *

 

 

Jake takes his bag and joins his wife at the table for dinner.

“Gustus will meet us on the beach in an hour, where is your bag, Abby?”

Jake has made plans with Gustus. He and his wife will board Gustus’s new ship. This time he made plans with Gustus to sail out for a month, to look for the girls. Over the two years that have passed, they went out sailing many times.

“I’m not going, Jake.”

“What do you mean you’re not going? Abby, we made plans with Gustus. I know a month is a long time for you to be away from your work, but this is for our daughter and the other girls.”

Abby puts her cutlery down and looks at her husband.

“I’m not going, Jake.”

“I’m sure the hospital will allow you to come with me for a month, they understand the circumstances.” Jake reaches for his wife’s hand.

Abby pulls her hand away. “I don’t want to.”

“Abby, Clarke is out there somewhere, I know she has to be and the other gi-”

“Our daughter is dead, Jake!” Abby stands up and puts her plate in the sink. “She is gone and the other girls are gone too. It is foolish to hope for nothing. We have to move on.”

“Abby, you can’t be serious.”

“I have moved on, Jake. Perhaps you should do the same.”

Jake stands up, grabs his bag and leaves. He will never stop believing that his daughter and the other girls are still alive. His gut tells him they are not dead. Gustus is going to sail up to some islands across the sea, to check with the locals there if they saw any of the girls. There are islands where people don’t have fancy electronics like a television or a radio and it is possible that a local from one of those islands took the girls in.

Gustus is standing on the beach. He greets Jake as soon as he sees him. He informs Jake about some islands with locals where the girls could have possibly washed up. He tells him about islands where people live closed off from the rest of the world and don’t use things like boats. The sad part of his information is that there are many, many islands and that there are some small islands without locals at all.

Jake knows it takes up a lot of time to visit islands and skim through them. Even after locals tell them they do not recognize the girls on their pictures, they still skim through the entire island, just in case. No matter how long it takes, Jake won’t give up and Gustus won’t give up either. Abby may have given up, but the others haven’t. After each trip, Bellamy and his parents ask if there are any results. They too, refuse to believe that their little girl is gone.

Jake boards Gustus’s ship and finds a letter in his bag. It looks like the letter is from his wife, Abby. He opens it and reads it.

 

* * *

 

 

_Dear Jake,_

_I have loved since we were high school sweethearts. When you asked me to marry you, I couldn’t be happier. You kissed my cheeks when tears streamed down them, after I said yes. Of course I wanted to marry you. Our wedding was wonderful. That little chapel you found made it even better._

_When I was pregnant, I was scared, but you were there. You have always been there, every step of the way. With Clarke, our family was complete. I know that secretly you hoped for another child or even a dozen, but for me one had always been enough._

_After losing our daughter, things have not been the same anymore. Your eyes were not the same anymore. The smile you used to have vanished, just like our daughter. I realized that you had lost your heart at sea._

_I loved our Clarke just as much as you do, but she is gone, Jake. I still love our daughter and I always will, but I have mourned far too long now. Each time you would return from a trip with no results, it felt like we lost our daughter all over again._

_Our daughter is dead, Jake. We were not able to bury her body, but we did bury a few of her personal belongings, like her stuffed animals._

_The news turned this into one big circus, making money out of our loss, out of the loss of Octavia’s parents and Gustus’s loss. I cannot take this anymore._

_Life is moving on, and so am I._

_I wish it wouldn’t have to come to this, but it has._

_Our marriage is not working. It has been falling apart, and we both know it. I want a divorce._

_I’m sorry, Jake._

 - _Abby._

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Raven? Are you crying?” Clarke walks up to Raven. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Raven is sitting on a tree log, her head placed against her knees. Clarke and Lexa just returned from the waterfall with Octavia, when they saw Raven sitting there like that.

Raven looks up at Clarke. Some of her hair is sticking to her face due to her tears. She must have been crying a lot.

Lexa kneels down next to Raven. “Raven?” She wipes the few strands of hair out of Raven’s face. She has never seen Raven like this.

“It’s Anya.” More tears roll over Raven’s cheek. “Something is wrong.”

“Raven, what happened?” Clarke pulls Raven up in a hug and strokes her back.

“She’s burning up. Her forehead is glowing, I think she’s sick.”

Lexa’s eyes widen upon hearing that. Her sister looked healthy last night at the campfire. She had seen her sister sitting on the tree log with Raven last night, their fingers entwined.

Raven leads the girls into their hut, to bring them to Anya who is in her hammock.

Anya murmurs when she sees them. “Don’t get too close.” She holds one of her hands up. She doesn’t want the girls to get sick too.

Lexa ignores her sister’s words blatantly and steps closer. “I have never seen you get sick, Anya.” She is worried. All their life, she and her sister never needed a doctor.

Clarke places one of her hands on Anya’s forehead. “She has a fever.” She shakes her head. “We don’t have any medicines to make her better.”

Anya looks at the girls. “Lexa, you are in charge now.” She squeezes her sister’s hand. “Build a small hut with a hammock for me, so I can sleep there. Do not allow any of the girls to come close to me.”

“Anya…”

“Lexa, no. That is an order. I am putting you in charge.” Anya squeezes her sister’s hand again. “Take care of the girls.”

It pains Anya that she can’t take care of the girls now. They are her responsibility, but right now she can’t even get up. Her sister Lexa is only twelve years old, but she is sick now and Lexa is the best chance they have. She knows Raven will help her sister. Yesterday she found love with Raven. The campfire felt so much like home. Right now she is sick and nobody can promise her tomorrow.

Lexa clenches her jaw and nods. She leads the other girls out of the hut to go build a small hut for Anya.

When they are done building the small hut, Lexa and Raven let Anya lean on them to bring her there. Once Anya is in the smaller hut in her hammock, they walk out.

Clarke faces the other girls. “I saw some plants close to the waterfall.” She licks her lips. “I think they could be herbs.”

Lexa pauses for a moment. “What do you mean, Clarke?”

“If those plants are herbs, maybe I can make soup with them to make Anya better.”

“How do you know if that will work?”

Clarke sighs. “I’m not sure, Lexa. The thing is, my mother is a doctor. When I got sick, she did not like to give me medication. Sometimes she gave me soup and she said it was herbs that would make me better.”

“And you think those plants close to the waterfall are herbs, Clarke?”

“I… I’m not really sure, but my mother showed me some herb plants once and those plants close to the waterfall look like them.”

Lexa nods. “We will go to the waterfall now. When we return we will make the soup.” She motions for the girls to follow her.

 

* * *

 

 

“Octavia!” Lexa growls at younger girl. “We are not here to play, we are here to collect some of those plants for Anya.”

Lexa rolls her eyes at Octavia. The younger girl had rushed into the water and splashed some of it at Clarke and Raven. Usually Lexa wouldn’t mind, but they are on a mission. Anya is sick and they need get those plants so they can make soup. She knows Octavia is a child but they don’t have time for this. She has to put her foot down and stand her ground.

Lexa places her hand atop Clarke’s shoulder. “What do you need to make the soup?”

“Ehm…” Clarke is thinking what they’ll need. “We need a bit of those plants and water.”

Lexa nods. “Raven.”

“Yes, Lexa?” Raven tilts her head slightly to the side.

“Go to our hut to retrieve a bowl, bring it here and fill it with water.”

Raven runs off to do what Lexa tells her to do. It is slightly awkward for her to take orders from a girl who is a year younger than she is, but Anya had made it clear that Lexa is in charge while she is sick. Raven won’t disobey what her girlfriend wants, and if her girlfriend wants Lexa in charge, so be it. She runs as fast as her feet can carry her. When she’s back at the waterfall, she fills the bowl with water.

Lexa purses her lips. “Good, now let’s bring this back to our hut so we can prepare the soup.” She clasps her hands behind her back while she walks back to their hut.

Clarke mixes the plants with some water. It looks like disgusting green water.

Anya protests when Clarke and Lexa enter her private hut. Lexa has ordered Raven and Octavia to stay outside.

“I told you girls not to come in here.” Anya rolls her eyes. “Lexa, you are disobeying me.”

“I apologize, Anya.” Lexa clicks her tongue and licks her lips. “Clarke has made you soup, to heal you.”

Clarke steps in closer and brings the bowl up to Anya’s mouth.

“Clarke, that looks like polluted water.” Anya crunches her nose. It looks disgusting. The only good part so far is that it smells like mints.

Clarke sighs. “It is soup, to make you feel better.”

Anya reluctantly tastes the green colored water that Clarke refers to as ‘soup.’ The taste is close to mint, but not quite. She accepts the bowl and empties it. She wants to question how Clarke would even know that this soup might heal her, but she remembers that Clarke’s mother is a doctor. Perhaps Clarke’s mother taught her some things, the way her father taught her and Lexa survival skills.

 

* * *

 

 

Anya clears her throat. “You know girls, together we make a pretty good team. Lexa and I have our survival skills to pass on to all of you. Raven is our tech girl and an expert at tying knots. Clarke is our little healer who comes to our aid when we need it and Octavia is really fast.”

Anya looks fondly at the girls and she is proud. Lexa is good at survival skills, as is she. Raven always knows how to impress her with the knots she can tie and if they would have some technology on the island, she would be able to create impressive things. Clarke knows a thing or two about healing them. If one of them got cut, she would rip off a piece of clothing or something similar, to bandage them. Out of all the girls, Octavia made her the proudest. The younger girl who couldn’t swim when they first arrived on the island is now their fastest swimmer. Not only their fastest swimmer, she is also fast to climb trees and to run.

Anya is sitting around the campfire with a blanket draped around her, gratefully sipping some soup. She had been sick for a week. The soup Clarke had made for her with the plants she found has healed her. Maybe that little blonde isn’t so bad after all. Plus Clarke makes her sister happy, so it’s all good.

Raven wraps her arms around Anya with a big smile on her face. She had been so worried that she was going to lose Anya.

 

 

* * *

 

 

There is a raging storm the next night. The sea looks wild. It plagues the girls with memories.

Thunderclaps roar through the air. The leaves are twirling around. Thankfully they made sure their hut would be prepared for this kind of weather. There might be some collateral damage here and there but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that they are safe. They are on the island and the storm cannot harm them.

“OH MY GOD!!!!” Raven shouts loudly, raising her voice above the sound of the thunder.

Anya elbows her gently. “Why are you shouting?” She was just about to go inside their hut when Raven shouted.

Raven points her finger towards the sea.

No way.

NO WAY.

Anya wonders if she’s hallucinating. A few clicks away from their island, in the sea, there is a little… _rubber boat_? being carried by a few waves. It can’t be from her father’s ship. They did not have rubber boats.

Raven is pacing around. “Oh my god, I think there is someone in it!” She waves her hands wildly in the direction of the boat. “Look!”

Anya runs in their hut and grabs a life vest. She hands Raven a roll of rope. “Tie that rope around me Raven and when you’re done, tie the other end to one of the trees.”

Raven knits her eyebrows. “Anya…what are you planning to do?” She can already guess what Anya is up to.

“Someone is in that rubber boat, I’m going in the water to check it out.”

Clarke shakes her head. “Anya, you were sick, you just got better the other day. You are not going in that water!”

“I don’t want to hear it, I’m going in.” Anya shrugs her head.

Clarke is annoyed. “Anya, no. It is not safe! You could get sick again or you might get hit by waves.”

“That is why I am wearing this life vest and why I will be using the rope.” Anya takes a deep breath. “Whoever is in that boat is probably someone’s family and if it would be someone from any of our families in there, we would wish someone would do something.”

Clarke drops her argument. Anya is right. Whoever is in that rubber boat needs help. “Be careful.” She doesn’t want to lose Anya. Anya is Lexa’s sister and she is their guardian.

Raven ties the rope around one of the trees and around Anya. She makes sure to double her knots and make them tight. She hopes the strength of the waves won’t snap the rope.

The girls run into the water with Anya. They stop where the water reaches their waist.

Anya dives in the water and begins to swim. The waves are pushing her in the direction of the rubber boat. That is good news for her to get to the boat, but bad news for when she will return to the island. She swallows some of the water while a few waves hit her. If she doesn’t die by doing this, Raven might kill her if she gets sick again. The water is really cold.

Anya can hear the girls behind her screaming. She knows they worry. She wonders what her father would say about what she is doing right now. He might tell her how reckless she is for going into the water while a storm is happening, leaving the girls behind while she is their guardian or he might be proud of her for helping someone. Since she has been on the island with the girls, she has never been this deep into the water. The screams and shouts from the girls are fading out. That rubber boat is further away than it seemed, but that might be due to the waves which possibly pushed it further away.

Anya is getting closer to the rubber boat. It looks like it is slowly sinking. Water probably got into the boat. There is no way such a pathetic little rubber boat would survive a storm. She hears some muffled screams from the boat. Just a little bit further and she’ll be there. Whoever is in that boat can thank Raven if they make it onto the island. If it wasn’t for Raven, they wouldn’t have spotted the boat.

Anya’s eyes widen when she reaches the rubber boat. The person in it is a child. Anya looks around. She doesn’t see any other boats or a ship or anything at all. What is this child doing alone in this rubber boat? Did this child drift away, like she and the girls once drifted away on a door? There is literally nothing else to be seen. No suitcases, nothing.

Anya considers her options. She can try to swim back with the rubber boat and hope it doesn’t sink along the way or she could pull the child out. There isn’t much time. The thunder is getting louder and the waves are getting stronger. Anya reaches out for the child who is clearly not wearing a life vest. Great, now she can swim back against the waves with a child in her arms.

“Wrap your arms around my neck, hold on really tight and don’t let go.” Anya takes the child into her arms. “I have to use my arms to swim, but don’t let go.”

Anya fights against the waves. She feels the rope around her waist is being pulled at. It isn’t from the waves, no, she is being pulled closer towards the island. It must be the girls. They must have seen her reach the rubber boat and they must have decided to pull the rope to help her get back. The pulls are not so strong, but it helps. She thinks it must be difficult for Raven, Lexa, Clarke and Octavia to pull her back while strong waves are crashing against her. They must be tired too, they all were tired.

Anya is glad when the island is closing in and when she is able to stand on her feet again. Now she can walk. The girls continue to pull the rope until Anya is on the sand on the island. Clarke rushes towards Anya with a blanket and offers it to her. She can see the shocked looks on their faces when they see that the person Anya rescued from that rubber boat is a child. She brings the child inside their hut.

“Damn Anya, you saved a kid.” Raven looks at her girlfriend. “So kid, what is your name?”

“My name is Aden.”

“How old are you, Aden?”

“I’m eleven.” The boy is shivering. His clothes are soaked.

Anya takes some clothes and gives them to the boy. “Here, put those on.” She points to one of the hammocks. “You can sleep there.”

Aden looks at Anya with a sad smile. “Thank you, for saving my life.” His hands shake while he gets into the dry clothes.

Lexa looks at him. “Where are your people?”

Aden’s face falls. “I was on a boat. My parents dropped the rubber boat into the water and lowered me into it. They jumped into the water and pushed the rubber boat for me. The boat sank. My parents swam in the water, pushing the rubber boat. The waves were strong and they were tired, I watched them drown.” He dips his head.

Anya wraps a blanket around Aden and cups his cheeks. “I will take care of you now.” She points at the girls. “We all will. We are your family now.”

Anya sings to Aden until he falls asleep. Another child on the island. Now she is not only Lexa’s, Raven’s, Clarke’s and Octavia’s guardian, but also Aden’s guardian. Once again, Anya wonders how she ended up on this island like this. Even if the girl’s parents are still alive, Aden is an orphan. Despite only being sixteen, she can’t help but feel a little bit like she’s their mother.

 

* * *

 

 

Anya and Raven prepare some fruit the next morning. They’re sitting outside on the tree log. The other girls and Aden are still inside the hut, waking up and getting ready. Anya had given Aden a suitcase full of clothes, from which she assumed, used to belong to Lincoln. The clothes will be a bit big for Aden, but it is the best they have. At least the clothes are dry and warm.

There are no signs left from the storm from last night. The sea looks calm again and the sun is up. The rubber boat in which Anya had found Aden is gone. It probably didn’t survive the storm, it was already sinking when she found Aden in it.

Clarke and Lexa walk out the hut, holding each other’s hand.

Anya stretches her right arm out, with a bowl in her hand. “Here, breakfast.” She waits for Clarke and Lexa to take the bowl.

“Thanks.” Clarke and Lexa smile and sit down on the tree log, next to Anya and Raven.

Finally Octavia and Aden walk out the hut. Octavia is smiling and babbling to Aden. She insists for Aden to sit next to her.

Anya is glad that Octavia has someone closer to her age now. Octavia is ten and Aden is eleven. Aden doesn’t say much, Anya notices. He does seem polite. She gathers that Aden can swim. It is a relief that she doesn’t have to teach him that. Last night the boy had no energy to swim.

Lexa picks up another bowl, fills it up with some fruit and brings it to Aden.

“Hi, I’m Lexa.” She smiles and extends her free hand to him. With her other hand, she offers the bowl of fruit to Aden. “Breakfast, for you.”

Aden politely shakes Lexa’s hand. “Thank you.” He accepts the bowl so he can eat.

Lexa sits down next to Aden so she can talk a bit with him.

Anya smiles when she watches their interaction. She thinks the girls will get along with Aden. The boy has a calm exterior. He’s eating berries while Lexa is talking to him.

“My father had a ship, a storm about two years ago took the ship.” Lexa points at Anya. “She is my sister, Anya, sixteen years old. She is our guardian here. Our father asked her to look after us.” She points at Raven. “Raven is Anya’s girlfriend, she is thirteen, she has been a friend of us of some years.” Her finger moves to Octavia. “That’s Octavia, she’s the youngest one here, ten years old.” Lastly she points at Clarke. “That is Clarke, twelve years old and she is my beautiful girlfriend.” She blushes a bit. “I’m twelve too.”

Aden follows Lexa’s motions and nods.

“We are all like family.” Lexa slings her arm over Aden’s shoulder. “Welcome to the family, brother.”

Aden cries at the sentiment. Last night he thought that he was going to drown, like his parents. The storm was making the sea rough. Then out of nowhere, Anya showed up and brought him safely onto this island. Last night the storm made him an orphan. Today, he has five sisters.

Lexa holds Aden in her arms while he cries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally it was not my plan to write Aden into this story, but after watching the last episode I just had to. 
> 
> Fuck you jrot! Aden deserved better. 
> 
> Aden is a pure cinnamon roll. Lexa is a sweetheart. Anya is low(high)key mothering them.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone arrives onto their island. A not so friendly figure approaches the children. Something happens and Anya puts Lexa in charge.

Lexa steps into the water with Aden, a spear in her hands. She has offered to teach him how to spear a fish. Aden is standing next to her, eyeing her expectantly. She explains how he has to stand really still and wait for the fish before moving the spear into the water, to spear a fish in one swift move.

Clarke and Octavia are assigned to collect fruit. Raven and Anya are collecting sticks to prepare their campfire for when the night falls. Usually they would spread up in a group of two and a group of three, because none of them really wanted to wander off alone. Now that there are six of them they can easily split up in groups of two.

Clarke groans a little when Anya doesn’t let her team up with Lexa, but she understands that Aden needs to learn survival skills. Yet she doesn’t find it fair that Anya sticks with her own girlfriend.

Octavia climbs one of the banana trees. Clarke waits to catch the bananas which Octavia cuts loose by holding up a shirt that she’s using as a net. Clarke chuckles when Octavia shimmies down the tree. It’s cute.

When they all go back to their hut, Anya hands them each a coconut. She cut them open with her blade so they can drink coconut milk.

“Aden speared a fish today.” Lexa has a soft smile on her face. “I think he is ready to learn other things.”

Anya eyes her sister questioningly. She hasn’t forgotten how Lexa once claimed Clarke had speared a fish when actually she didn’t.

Aden chimes in before Anya can question Lexa. “Lexa is a good teacher.”

Anya teasingly ruffles Lexa’s hair. “Yeah, she is.”

Lexa groans and pushes Anya’s hand away.

“Alright girls, and boy.” Anya points to the tree logs. “Sit down.”

Clarke sighs deeply. “Here we go again.” She nudges Aden with her elbow. “Anya is going to play teacher again.”

Aden is surprised to hear that, but he doesn’t say anything.

Raven stands up next to Anya. In the beginning Anya would try to be her teacher too, but it had been pointless. It was futile to try to teach Raven things when they had shared the same classes at school. If anything, she could learn a few things from Raven.

Octavia crosses her arms. “This is not fun. We don’t know if we need to learn those things. We live here on this island.” She never liked to be schooled.

“Octavia, you can run ten laps around our hut.” Anya clenches her jaw. She will not be undermined. “Anyone else care to join her?” She raises on eyebrow and look at Clarke, Lexa and Aden who shakes their head. “Good, then we can begin.”

Lexa hands a book to Clarke and Aden. One of the suitcases that had washed up when they got onto the island contained a few books. They belonged to Clarke’s father. They read in silence.

 

* * *

 

 

The month went by too fast. Jake and Gustus didn’t find the girls. There was still no sign of them anywhere. During their trip, they had seen at least five islands and skimmed through several villages. The locals on the islands had appeared a bit shy and distrusting. Jake didn’t blame them for that. They had been strangers, invading their lives.

Jake held the picture of his daughter in his hand. It was the picture Abby took the day they boarded the ship. Clarke is smiling in the picture, with a smiling Octavia and Bellamy next to her. They all look so happy in the picture. The picture shows then ten year old version of Clarke and the eight year old version of Octavia. Jake knows they are two years older now, but surely they would still look the way they did in that picture, only a little bit taller.

For each village they visited on the islands, Gustus would leave a gift, as a way to apologize for invading and to thank them for their time and trouble. Random villagers would search around, understanding their pain and despair, only to tell them the girls are not on their island. It happened to one island after the other.

Jake politely shakes Gustus’s hand and agrees to meet up with him on the beach again after a week. He has to go home to sign the divorce papers and to pack his bags. Gustus has been so kind to offer him a permanent place on his new ship. Due to the many trips to search for the girls, Jake had lost his job. His employer was a kind man, but there had been limits.

Jake had been spending more time at sea with Gustus than he had been spending time working. Quite the contrast with Abby, who worked more than ever. He had found a new job. After he lost Clarke, he began to write and published a few books. Each time he sat in his cabin on board of Gustus’s ship, he’d write.

Abby was waiting for him at their house. She did not say much. Jake signed the papers and took his bags, which Abby had already packed for him.

 

* * *

 

 

It is barely morning when Raven hurries and runs into the hut, nudging the others. Raven had been the first to wake up. When she went outside, she saw something at sea.

Anya stirs a bit when Raven nudges her. She cracks her eyes open. “Hmm, Raven?” She brings her hands up to her eyes to rub the sleep out of them.

Raven tries to catch her breath to explain. “I saw something at sea!”Her chest is heaving from the deep breaths she’s taking. “I think it is a motorboat, it is approaching our island fast!”

Anya jerks up and crawls out of her hammock. “Everyone, get up, now!” She grabs a shirt and some shorts and quickly puts them on.

The others follow suit.

They run outside to see a motorboat stopping in the water and two men stepping out to get onto the island.

Anya, Raven, Clarke, Lexa, Octavia and Aden are standing in front of their hut. It can’t be a search party for Aden, his family drowned at sea. None of the children recognize the two men. Anya motions for the other children to stay behind her, as they slowly approach. Perhaps those men can bring them home.

The men are wearing baggy clothes and they have backpacks. They approach the children. One of them, who looks like the leader, talks.

“Do you all live here?”

Anya nods.

The man slides one of his hands through his greasy hair. “We are looking for valuable things, like oil and things like that.”

Anya shakes her head. “We don’t have anything like that here.” She doesn’t trust these men, there is something very off about them. “This is a small island with some fruit on it.”

The man points his finger at the children. “How did you all get here?”

“Shipwrecked.” Anya remains to stand in front of the other children.

The man has a devilish grin on his face. “You say there is nothing valuable on this island?”

Anya shakes her head. Those men must be some type of gold diggers or something.

“I think there is something of some worth here.”

Anya narrows her eyes. She doesn’t want these men here.

The man reaches out and grabs Anya’s wrist. “We can take you with us as our treasure.”

Aden steps forward and pushes the man. “Unhand my sister!” He snarls at the man.

The man loses his balance for a moment. He stumbles onto the sand. Before the children can register what is happening, the man kicks Anya’s right leg, making Anya fall onto the sand. The man stands back up and shoves Aden aside in a rough way, making him fall on top of Anya.

“Silly boy!”

Lexa runs up to the man and growls. “Touch my sister or my brother again and you will pay with your life!” She is angry. That man crossed a line.

The man laughs in Lexa’s face. He turns around to look at the other man. “These kids have some nerve.” He eyes Lexa who looks like a tiny warrior with her braided hair.

Anya scrambles herself back onto her feet and helps Aden up as well. “Leave our island, now!” She seethes at the two men who have invaded their island.

The man who is the leader reaches into his backpack and pulls out a blade. He swirls it around like he’s insane.

Anya stands in front of the other children, not wanting any harm to come to them. She is their guardian, she has to protect them.

The blade slashes Anya’s left arm. Blood seeps through her white shirt. She clutches her right hand around her left arm.

Lexa rages. “You filthy weasel!” She snatches the spear Octavia had been holding and throws it at the man, hitting him directly into his chest.

The man drops onto the sand. The other man looks in horror and lifts his hands up. “Please, I mean you no harm.”

Lexa grabs her blade where she had tucked it below her shirt. She approaches the man. “You will leave and never return back here. Leave your backpacks and take that weasel with you!” she grits her teeth. “Do as I say now or I will have your life.”

The man quickly takes his own backpack off and the backpack of his companion. He puts them down onto the sand in front of the children. In a hurry he grabs his companion by his ankles and pulls him as fast as he can back to the motorboat. He places his limp body in the motorboat with some effort and takes off, shocked by what just happened.

Anya clenches her jaw. “This should not have happened. I apologize for putting you all in danger.” She looks at the children. “Lexa, I’m sorry for what you had to do.”

Anya is sad by what happened. Her younger sister did something she should never have to do. There was some hope that maybe those men would have been able to help them, but that was a big mistake. That mistake could have cost them dearly. She never wants to make a mistake like that again.

Clarke mushes some of the herb plants in a bowl to create a thick paste, which she applies on Anya’s wound. She bandages it up with a strip she cut off of one of the sheets. “I think I should renew this for you every day.”

Anya nods. “Thank you, Clarke.” She takes a moment to think. “Lexa, you did well today. You protected our family.”

Lexa has a stoic look on her face. “I will always protect our family. I will protect them with my life.” She takes her blade and makes a small cut in the palm of her hand. She squeezes her hand above a bowl. “This is my blood oath to protect our family.”

Anya can’t help the pained look on her face. Her sister is only twelve she should not have any of these burdens. She takes the blade from her sister and makes a cut in the palm of her own hand to do what her sister did.

The other children do the same. They are family. This is their blood oath to protect each other.

Anya takes Lexa’s hand. “Lexa, I officially put you in charge.” She feels like this is the right thing to do. Her father had put her in charge, but her younger sister had done a much better job at keeping them safe. “I will still be a guardian to you all.” She looks at the children. “But, Lexa, you will be in charge.”

Lexa bows her head and accepts her role as leader.

Anya clears her throat. “From this day forward, we will not trust strangers. Anyone who invades our island will be considered a threat.” She looks at Aden. When she saved him, she still believed in the goodness of people’s hearts. Right now, after what happened, she can’t risk it anymore.

The children nod. Strangers cannot be trusted. They agree that if a stranger ever approaches again, which seems rare, but if it happens, they will scare them off. In case a stranger attacks or threatens someone of their family, they will pay with their life.

They burn their blood, symbolically.

 

* * *

 

 

Raven is ruffling through the backpacks they got from those men. There are some weapons in it like blades. Raven is happy to find some electronics in them as well. Lexa lets her have it so she can tinker with it.

Lexa lets Raven stay in their hut with Anya. She sends Aden and Octavia away to collect fruit and anything else they might find.

Lexa takes Clarke’s hand and walks around with her.

“How do you feel about what happened today, Lexa?”

“When I saw what that man did, it made me very angry. He slashed my sister’s arm and pushed my brother. I did what I had to do.”

“You threw a spear at him, you…” Clarke swallows her last words.

Lexa cups Clarke’s cheeks. “We do what we must to survive, Clarke.” She takes a deep breath. “Protecting our family is important.”

Clarke nods and places her forehead against Lexa’s forehead. She sucks in a few breaths before kissing Lexa. They could have lost Anya today. Others could have gotten hurt too, and Lexa stopped that.

“Thank you, Lexa.”

“Why are you thanking me, Clarke?”

“For protecting us.”

“I will always protect our family.”

“You’re amazing, Lexa. You know that, right?”

“As are you, Clarke.”

Their lips meet in a soft, gentle kiss.

Lexa did not hesitate when her sister got hurt. She knows it must have been hard for Clarke to witness that, and probably for Octavia too and for Aden. She would do anything to protect her family. Those men were bad news and she did what she had to do, to make sure they would not harm her family anymore. She took that man’s life so he wouldn’t take Anya’s or any of the other children’s lives. That man wounded her sister and she made him pay for it. If those men would have left them alone, there wouldn’t have been an issue. She did spare the other man’s life, because he did not attack them.

 

* * *

 

 

“Raven, I’m not a cripple.” Anya rolls her eyes at how much Raven is pampering her. “It is just a slash.”

“Anya, you could have died.”

Anya chuckles lightly. “It is only a slash, Rae, don’t be so dramatic.”

“That’s not really what I meant; I mean it could have been worse.”

“Hey, Raven, look at me.” Anya pokes Raven with her good arm. “I’m okay, we’re all okay.”

“I shouldn’t have told you all about that motorboat.”

“They would have approached us anyway. They stepped onto our island.”

Raven peppers Anya’s face with kisses. “Don’t you dare ever leave me.” She holds Anya tightly in her arms, making sure not to press against her wound.

“I wouldn’t dare, you’d probably hunt me down.”

Raven scoffs. “You bet your ass I would.” She reaches into one of the backpacks. “I found some canned food in here, looks like vegetables, mostly.”

Anya hums. “That’s good. We can have some of those later at the campfire.”

“I found some flashlights too, and I have an idea.” Raven has a grin on her face. She is up to something.

Anya watches as Raven hangs some sheets up, making them fall down in the shape of a tent.

When the others are back in their hut, they gather outside to prepare dinner. The canned food is a nice treat.

Raven is chomping down some food. “So I have a fun idea.” The others look up at her. “I hung up some sheets in our hut and I found some flashlights. When we’re done eating, we could sit there and tell each other spooky stories. The one telling the story will hold a flashlight under their chin.” She smiles at her own idea, hoping the others will agree.

“I saw this dork set it all up.” Anya nudges her girlfriend. “I’m in.”

The others nod. After today, they can use a night of fun.

 

* * *

 

 

Octavia takes the flashlight into her little hands. She clicks it on and places it under her chin, as Raven had instructed.

Raven has done this before with Anya and Lexa, during the times they had gone camping when they were younger.

They look at Octavia, waiting for her to tell a scary story.

“Once upon a time I went to the store for chocolate and they told me there wasn’t any chocolate left.”

“Umm...” Raven stares at Octavia “How is that a scary story?”

“I like chocolate and it was scary because I thought chocolate disappeared forever.”

The children chuckle. Raven ruffles Octavia’s hair. “You. Are. So. Adorable.” She tickles the younger girl until she surrenders.

Anya pulls Octavia onto her lap and kisses the crown of her head. “Cute story, very scary indeed.”

The others chime in.

“Oh yeah.” Clarke shifts her eyes. “I was terrified.”

Aden nods. “Really scary.”

Lexa gasps and adds. “I hope I will be able to sleep tonight.”

Octavia sticks her tongue out to all of them. “Meanies.” A smile spreads on her face. She is happy to be with them.

Octavia was never fond of being the youngest one. She wanted to prove them that she is brave and strong. When the others began to coddle her a bit, she didn’t mind being the youngest anymore. It helps her to get away with certain things. She likes that Aden is with them too. One time she had eaten Anya’s berries and Aden said he was the one who ate them. They are all nice to her and she loves them.

 

* * *

 

 

Jakes arrives with Gustus onto the beach. They have been spending months at sea, but they had returned today. That dreadful day was there again. People would place candles onto the beach again. Today it has been three years since they’ve lost the girls. It quickly became clear that the turnout of people this year is lower than it was last year and the year before that.

“Smaller group this year, Gustus.”

Gustus shrugs his shoulders. “As time goes on, people lose interest.” He grabs a candle and fishes a lighter out of his pocket.

Jake takes a candle and lights it by holding it against the flame of Gustus’s candle.

They light a few more.

Jake places the first one down.

“For Clarke, my daughter with the brightest smile I’ve ever seen.”

He puts a second candle down.

“For Octavia, my daughter’s best friend, a lively young girl.”

Gustus puts his first candle down.

“For Anya, my eldest daughter. The apple of my eye.”

He puts a second candle down.

“For Lexa, my youngest daughter. The other apple of my eye.”

He places a third candle down.

“For Raven, the smartest kid I’ve known. Best friend of my daughters.”

Bellamy walks up to them with his parents, like they do each year. He politely accepts a candle from Jake.

“For Octavia, my baby sister.” He puts a second candle down. “For Clarke, my best friend.”

They place a few more candles, along with Bellamy’s parents. Some people circle around them and bow their heads in respect. Silence fills the air with the glow of the candles.

 

* * *

 

 

Anya got up, took her blade and carved it into the tree like she does every morning. Three years, that’s how long they are on the island for by now.  

Anya and Lexa made Aden a promise that if by some miracle they would get back to their families, if there are any to return to, that Aden will remain to be their brother, since the boy wouldn’t have anyone to return to. They like Aden, he is the brother they never had and now they do.

Anya wakes Raven up with a kiss.

“Mhm, good morning.”

“Good morning, Rae.”

Raven snakes her hands around Anya’s neck and pulls her into their hammock. They’ve been sharing a hammock for a while now, just like Lexa and Clarke share one with each other. Only Octavia and Aden sleep separately.

“I just got up, Rave-”

Raven cuts Anya off with another kiss. She traces her fingers along Anya’s arms, lingering one of them for a moment on the scar on Anya’s left arm. She sighs. It keeps reminding her how something awful could have happened to Anya all those months ago, when that man slashed her arm.

Anya stares into Raven’s deep brown eyes. “Raven, I’m fine.”

Anya will never forget that day, but she’s alive. She is glad that it happened to her and not to any of the other children. Aden had been so brave to step up. He’s a good brother and more than worthy of the Woods family name. Then of course there was Lexa, her brave young sister, strong and fierce as she is. She is glad Lexa has Clarke, to help balance her and bring light into her life.

A pillow hits them.

“Hey!”

They peer around their hut to see who threw the pillow at them. Octavia is grinning widely.

Anya crawls out their hammock and scoops Octavia up. “Hey, Raven, I found breakfast for us.” She playfully bites Octavia’s arm.

Clarke crosses her arms. “Aw, you stole my breakfast.” She fakes a pout.

“Oh, but there is enough for us all.” Anya walks around with Octavia in her arms and reaches her out to the rest, one by one. “Here, breakfast, take a bite.”

The children rub their bellies and lick their lips.

 

* * *

 

 

Clarke feels the water, gently washing over her feet. She has a stick in her arms, using it to draw things into the sand. She rakes a hand through her hair, touching the braids. Her lips curve upwards into a smile. Lexa had braided her hair when they had gotten up. She looks at Octavia who is a few steps away, crunched down onto the sand, her hands scooping holes, waiting for the water to fall into them. She likes how they all try so hard to let Octavia be a child, she is a child after all. Being on the island has given them responsibilities.

Clarke knows that truly they are still children. She used to miss being able to just be a child, but Anya always tried to let them be children. Now that they are on the island for three years, she doesn’t mind it anymore. Of course she is still a child, but she has grown up. With Octavia being the youngest, they all made sure to treasure Octavia’s childhood just a little longer and Clarke feels happy about that. Octavia is her best friend, she adores her.

Despite their best efforts to let Octavia be the child she is, the younger girl has a natural curiosity and a desire to be fierce. Clarke smiles when she thinks back about all the times she noticed Octavia looking up at Anya and Lexa, with such interest to be like them.

After what happened with those men, Lexa had been taking precautions. They had carved sticks, taller than themselves and began to practice with each other on how to use them. One of the things they were trying to learn was how to sweep your opponent off of their feet with those sticks. Lexa ought it necessary for them to learn that, in case any other invaders would reach their island. Clarke eagerly agreed, as did the others.

She wishes the men would have never found their island and set foot on it, but they did and they had. It had been the first sign of someone in all those years, aside from Aden. More water washes over her feet. She turns around, looking in the direction of their hut, where the others are sitting on the tree logs. The moment her eyes set on Lexa, she notices how Lexa is already looking in her direction. She waves her hands, signaling for Lexa. A toothy smile appears on her face as Lexa runs towards her.

Clarke opens her arms, bracing herself for the impact. Lexa kisses Clarke’s cheek the moment she flings herself into Clarke’s arms.

Clarke chuckles. “Hey.” She leans closer and kisses her girlfriend.

Lexa trains her eyes onto the sand. “Drawing hearts again, I see.” Her voice is a soft whisper.

“Uh…” Clarke shuffles onto her feet. Of course she had been drawing hearts into the sand again. “It was Octavia’s idea.”

Octavia must have heard them, because the younger girl sprung onto her feet, fast. “It was not!” She gives Clarke a quick push.

Clarke lifts her hands up. “Okay, okay, what I meant to say is that I made them for Octavia.”

Lexa chuckles loudly. She reads the words drawn inside the biggest heart. “Clarke and Lexa, oxo.” She grins while Clarke’s cheeks turn red. “Interesting drawing to make for Octavia.”

“Whelp, someone is busted!” Octavia screeches before running off to the tree logs to join the others.

Clarke bites her lips. Lexa’s green eyes are fixating on Clarke’s blue eyes. She gulps. “I um… I love you?” She tries.

Lexa smiles. “You are such a dork, Clarke.” She peppers a few kisses onto Clarke’s face. “I love you too.”

“So, commander, what are the orders for today?” Clarke smirks, using the title she gave Lexa, purely to taunt her.

Lexa rolls her eyes. “Must you always call me that, Clarke?”

“It is appropriate, you are our leader.”

“It is your fault that the others call me that too.”

“Aw come on, Lex. You don’t mind.”

“You know I don’t like it, Clarke.”

“But it’s suitable, it suits you.”

“I think I know who I will put in charge of cooking our fish today.”

Clarke’s eyes widen. “And if I kiss you?” She knows bribery only works occasionally, but she always tries anyway.

“Then I will kiss you back and wait for you to cook the fish.” Lexa’s eyes are shining with victory.

Clarke groans, she isn’t going to win this one. “Fine, let’s go back to the others.”

Lexa grasps her wrist and stops her. “You have mentioned a kiss.”

“Well you see, Lex. Yes, I did, but since I have to cook the fish I retreat that offer.”

Nope, Clarke won this one after all when she walks away, laughing as Lexa gasps.

 

* * *

 

 

Lexa taps the stick she’s holding against Aden’s right leg, making him spread his legs a bit more. She taps the stick gently against his back.

“Straighten your posture, Aden.” She watches as the boy does what she tells him to do. “Yes, good, that is better.”

Lexa makes sure to praise Aden and the others when they do something good. It is important to her to let them all know when they are doing well, along with pointing out what they should correct. She fixes her gaze onto Clarke.

“No, Clarke, not like that.” She takes Clarke’s hands and replaces them onto the stick the blonde is holding. “Like this.”

Lexa nods approvingly, shifting her eyes between Clarke and Aden who have fixed their stance.

“Clarke, try to hit Aden against his sides. Aden, try to block every hit.”

It is a tactical choice. Aden has shown more progress than Clarke has. If she reverses their roles, Clarke won’t be able to block every move from Aden. She wants to take time to improve Clarke’s defense, by training her privately when the others are doing other things. When she trains Clarke privately, she calculates her moves, giving Clarke enough time to block them. Babysteps, Lexa thinks to herself, that is what she’ll do with Clarke.

Lexa watches them for a while. When she has seen enough, she holds her hands up, ordering them to sit down. “Clarke, not bad.” She takes Clarke’s hand, brings it up to her lips and places a soft kiss onto her knuckles. “Aden, good.” She gives the boy a short nod.

“Octavia.” Lexa motions for the younger girl to stand up. “Anya.” She clears her throat. “The first to fall three times loses.”

Now, it seems strange to let the youngest go up against the oldest, but Octavia had been showing remarkable progress. Lexa had assigned Anya as Raven’s and Octavia’s mentor, while she took it upon herself to be Aden’s and Clarke’s mentor.

Lexa holds her hands up, ordering them all to sit. She waits until they are all sitting on the tree logs. She clears her throat.

“Remember our mantra!” Her voice is strong, fierce and powerful.

They had created their own mantra and sealed it with a blood oath. They all sit together to chant their mantra.

“We do what we must to survive!”

“Strangers are considered a threat!”

“We will protect our family!”

Octavia clears her throat. “Kissing is gross.” She never kissed anyone, but she always looked away or covered her eyes when Anya and Raven kissed each other, or when Clarke and Lexa kissed.

Lexa glares daggers at the younger girl. “That is not a part of our mantra, Octavia.” Her lips show a hint of a smile, her eyes soften. “Everyone, listen up.” She waits a second. “I declare a tickle attack on Octavia.”

The children laugh as Octavia chuckles in delight. This is one of those moments where Lexa allows them and herself to be children. One of those rare soft moments, in which Clarke loves her even more.

Anya scoops Octavia up and coddles her. Octavia may be a good little fighter, but when Anya looks at her, she still sees that adorable little girl she has sang to many times. She fondly peppers her cheeks with kisses.

Octavia shrieks and wraps her arms around Anya’s neck in a tight hug. “Mammabear!” she nuzzles her head in the crook of Anya’s neck.

The others laugh loudly at Octavia’s name for Anya. She shuts them up with a stern look, but she can’t help the smile tugging at her lips.

 

* * *

 

 

There is a full moon tonight. The children are sleeping in their hut. Lexa sneaks out for a moment with Clarke. They lay down onto their back on the sand, pointing up at the sky, admiring the stars. Lexa knows how much Clarke loves to look at them and how she smiles brighter when a full moon is present as well.

Lexa rolls onto her side, leaning on her elbow so she can look at Clarke. The blonde is captivated by the stars above them, it is one those mesmerizing moments Lexa cherishes. Being here on this island with Clarke close to her side feels good, it feels right. It’s home. Their home.

Clarke reaches her hand out to grab Lexa’s and laces their fingers.

“This is so beautiful, Lexa.”

“Yes, beautiful.”

“When I was younger, my dad took me outside at night sometimes, so we could watch the stars together.”

“You miss him.”

“Yes, Lexa. I miss him, a lot. Do you miss your dad?”

“I do, Clarke.”

“Do you think they made it…?”

“I hope so.”

Lexa has no idea if they did or didn’t. Her father probably drowned. He looked tired when he pushed them away from that last wave. That could have been the end for him. As for Clarke’s father, she has no idea either. There is no way to tell if anyone made it to the life boats at all. And if they did, there is no way to tell if the life boats survived it. She wants to hold hope, not for her own sake, but for Clarke’s sake and Octavia’s sake.

Three years and there had been no sign from their families. If they made it and were looking for them, they should have found them by now. How much could they have possibly drifted? She sighs. The people on this island are her family. Anya is still with her, she still has her sister. She may have lost her father thanks to a storm, but she received a brother thanks to another storm.

Clarke squeezes Lexa’s hand. “Are you okay?” She knows that look on Lexa’s face, that look of worry when she’s thinking too much.

Lexa nods. “I am fine, Clarke.” As fine as she can be.

Lexa lets Clarke lie down onto her chest. She strokes her hair and tells her stories, until the blonde falls asleep.

Her family is on this island.

Her love is on this island.

The children on this island are her people.

Lexa drinks in the view all around her. This island is their home. She thinks about the name they have given themselves. It had been Raven’s idea to give them a name, like people in America call themselves Americans, and so on.

Lexa sucks in a deep breath. The air is cool. They had voted what they would call themselves. Anya had been the one to come up with name they selected to call themselves.

Drifters, that is what they are.

These children on this island, her people.

Drifters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Lexa is their leader now. A young, strong, fierce leader. Anya is still their guardian, but Lexa is in charge. 
> 
> If a stranger ever reaches their island again, they will be ready to defend their home. 
> 
> Octavia calling Anya 'mammabear', yes, hint at the comments I received ;)  
> I've been wondering which name I'd have Octavia calling Anya, and it seemed suitable.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their island is not as safe as they thought it was.

Raven pokes a grumbling Anya. “Anya, you’re eighteen now, we have to celebrate!” She doesn’t want to pass up the opportunity of celebrating her girlfriend’s birthday.

“It is just a number, Rae.” Anya rolls her eyes. “I’m not going to celebrate.” She has never really been the type to celebrate her birthdays.

Raven continues to poke her. “Come on, babe.” She kisses Anya’s cheek. “The others are making a fruit salad for you.” She knows it’s not exactly spectacular, but they’re on an island.

Anya gets up. “Now I am an adult on an island with children.” She sighs deeply.

“Pssh, please, you’re eighteen but you’re not an adult.” Raven rolls her eyes. “Plus, I’m hardly a child.”

Raven doesn’t feel like it would be fair to be called a child when Anya calls herself an adult. Sure Anya is three years older than her, but they were in the same classes when they were home.

“Is a celebration really necessary?” Anya looks at Lexa, doubting that her sister would order the others to celebrate this. “Lexa?”

Lexa shakes her head. “Raven insisted.”

“And you couldn’t say no?”

“She’s your girlfriend.” Lexa shrugs her shoulders. It makes no difference for her.

Raven smirks. “We are going to celebrate, Anya.”

Octavia stands on her toes with a flower crown in her hands. “I can’t reach you, mammabear.” She tries to jump up and down to reach Anya, but she’s too little.

Anya sighs and bends down so Octavia can place the flower crown on her head.

Octavia smiles at her. “I made it myself.”

Anya melts at the sight of Octavia’s cute smile. “It’s very pretty, mi Corazon.”

Raven nudges Anya with her elbow. “Hey, I did not teach you that word to say it to Octavia. You’re supposed to call me that!” Of course, she teaches her girlfriend a Spanish word of endearment and she says it to Octavia.

Anya snakes her hands around Raven’s waist. “I’m sorry, babe.” She stares into the Latina’s deep brown eyes and kisses her.

They go outside to eat some fruit salad. Anya gets a bigger bowl with extra berries.

Aden gives Anya a hug. “Happy birthday, sister.” He smiles warmly at her.

Clarke nods shortly at her while wishing her a happy birthday.

Octavia throws herself into her arms, repeating the word happy a few times while wishing her a happy birthday, with the most ridiculous smile on her face.

Raven gives her a fist bump and whispers happy birthday to her.

Lexa reluctantly hugs her and nods.

Anya knows that each child has their own way, their own little habits.

Octavia easily sticks to her like bees to honey. She’s so adorable and little and aw, how can she mind? One smile from her and she’s done for.

Aden is always kind towards everyone. She is glad she saved him from that rubber boat. He’s a good kid and thanks to him, she has a brother.

Clarke is a bit awkward around her, never really sure of what to say. She thinks it might be because she’s Lexa’s older sister and perhaps Clarke is worried to say the wrong things.  

Raven is her sassy self. She’s an amazing girlfriend.

And Lexa, well, Lexa is Lexa. Lexa does not like anyone to hug her, unless it is Clarke, obviously. Sometimes Lexa does allow it. She is relieved that her sister relaxes when she is around Clarke or Aden.

When the night falls they sit around the campfire. Clarke insists they dance. Octavia is the first one who jumps up to dance. 

"Uh... there is no music, Clarke." Lexa really doesn't want to dance. 

"Oh come on, Lexa." Clarke takes Lexa's hands and pulls her up. 

Octavia starts to sing. 

Clarke smiles. "Sounds like we have music now."

The others sigh while they get up to dance. Lexa and Anya give them a 'if-you-ever-tell-anyone-about-this-we-will-deny-it-happened'-look. 

 

* * *

 

 

Jake and Gustus walk onto the beach, preparing for that dreadful day again. Lincoln is walking behind them, Gustus’s crew in tow. Bellamy is already awaiting them with his parents.

Not many people show up today. People are forgetting, moving on.

The mayor is a kind man and he couldn’t find it in his heart to cancel this day. It’s a yearly tradition, a small token of hope and the kind man refused to rip that away from them. He had assigned a small spot where they can put their candles and where other people could place stuffed animals and letters.

Afterwards, Jake always collected the letters and the stuffed animals.

Jake greets Bellamy’s parents.

Four years, it has been four years.

Bellamy’s parents step aside with Jake to have a word with him. Bellamy stays at Gustus’s side.

Bellamy’s mother is breathing rapidly. “We cannot do this anymore, Jake.”

“I know it is difficult, but there is hope.”

“This is the fourth year. We want to believe our daughter is still alive, truly we do, but we have to move on.”

“I believe that our daughters are still alive.”

“Jake, look around. Four years, four long years. We have to move on. We want to move on so we can give Bellamy the life he deserves.”

Jake sighs. He understands their point. The Blakes still have their son. They want to give him a happy life and he doesn’t blame them for that. It is their choice to make.

“If it helps you grieve to believe that Octavia is no more, I will respect your decision.”

“We know you won’t stop looking for the children Jake. If by any chance you… will you?”

“Of course, if there is ever any sign, I will make sure to inform you both.”

“Thank you, Jake.”

Jake shakes their hands.

They walk back to the others, to light a few candles.

Lincoln helps his uncle Gustus to prepare the ship as soon as the crowd has left.

Jake feels a sad twinge. Abby had long given up and stopped believing their daughter would still be alive. Now the Blakes gave up as well and believe that their daughter is most likely dead. Luckily Gustus is as strong-minded as Jake. Together they would keep searching.

Jake had promised he would continue to search for the girls until the day he dies.

Gustus promised to do the same.

Lincoln assured them he would never stop searching either, he said he would continue to search when Jake and Gustus would be no more.

 

* * *

 

 

Rain has been pouring down all day. Lexa and the others are in their hut. They had to put on new clothes. They had gone outside earlier and had gotten soaked. It was too cold to be out in the rain.

Lexa grumbles as she paces around in their hut. Her plans for today are rudely disturbed by the weather.

“Lexa.” Clarke places her hand on Lexa’s shoulder. “Stop pacing around.”

“This weather is ruining our day, Clarke.”

“I know that it isn’t great, but pacing around won’t change the weather.”

Lexa stops. Clarke is right pacing won’t stop the rain from pouring down.

They wait in their hut until the rain stops falling.

As soon as the rain stops, they go outside.

Raven points her finger up. “Um, that doesn’t look good.” Her eyes widen.

The others look up. The sky is a dark grey and it doesn’t look very promising.

Lexa waves her hands. “It could be another storm, waiting to happen.” She doesn’t mind that, they’re not at sea.

“Uh yeah, but there is no thunder.” Raven crosses her arms.

“The sky might still have to clear up a bit, after all the rain that fell down.” Lexa’s voice is cold and collected. “There is no need to worry.”

They sit down on the tree logs and build a campfire to warm up a bit. The sky looks ravaged.

Octavia, who is sitting across the others, gasps loudly.

Lexa looks at her. “Octavia?” She wonders what has made the younger girl gasp.

Octavia tries to speak, but her throat tightens with fear. She can’t get a single word out.

Lexa gently shakes the younger girl. “Octavia, what is it?” She doesn’t like seeing the younger girl so frightened, so fragile.

Raven beats her to answering. “Holy shit!!” She points her finger shakily behind them.

Lexa wonders why Raven is shaking. Raven never shakes. What is scaring her? Why are Octavia and Raven so frightened?

Lexa turns around to have a look and gasps.

Anya shouts. “It-it-it…. it’s…. tornado!!” Her breath hitches in her throat.

Lexa tries to collect herself while Raven, Clarke and Octavia scream. She doesn’t scream, neither does Anya or Aden. Panic won’t help them. The tornado looks like it will twirl right over their island. It is small, but dangerous all the same.  She has to think fast, she has to do something. She has to lead her people.

“Raven, go get rope, now!!” Lexa watches as Raven sprints off to get rope.

Lexa points at a big tree. “Tie the rope to the tree and tie yourselves!”

Raven quickly ties the rope around the tree, while the others are tying themselves to each other. Lexa continues to shout commands at them. Raven ties triple knots around the others. Lexa’s commands echo through the air.

“Hold each other’s hand!”

“Do not let go!”

“No matter how strong the wind is, do not let go!”

“If anyone dares to let go, I will fling you into that tornado myself!”

The others nod while they’re shaking. Lexa knows she’s being hard on them, but she has to be. This is a serious situation and there is no time to waste.

Lexa puts them in some sort of circle, making them hold each other’s hand.

“Octavia, Anya’s hand and mine!” Lexa grasps one of Octavia’s hands into her own, with her other hand she grasps Clarke.

Octavia is the youngest, that’s why she’s letting the strongest hands hold her. Aside from that Octavia is also the littlest one, so if the rough wind threatens to pull anyway away, the younger girl would be ripped away first.

The tornado is closing in.

“Hold on!”

There is a lot of wind. Their hut was built to survive rain, but it is not built to survive a tornado, even if it is a small one.

They gasp as the tornado twirls around their hut, destroying it in its process. Their safe home suddenly doesn’t feel so safe anymore. Pieces of their hut get sucked up, while other pieces scatter across their island.

The wind is rough and it is pulling at them. Lexa feels Octavia’s hand slowly losing its grip on her own hand. She strengthens her grip on Octavia’s hand. She knows that by now she is probably digging her nails in Octavia’s hand, but this is for her safety. It is better than letting the younger girl get ripped away from them. She knows there is a rope around her waist, but she can’t take any risks.

The rope is cutting into their flesh. Damn Raven and her ties. Lexa grits her teeth. It is not a pleasant feeling, but they have to endure this.

Lexa mutters as Clarke’s rope snaps. She feels Clarke squeezing her hand tighter, fighting the pull of the wind. Lexa is about to panic. She can’t hold Clarke on her own, she can’t release her other hand from Octavia’s, since Octavia isn’t standing on her feet anymore. The younger girl is far too light, and therefore an easy target for the strong pulls of the wind. If Octavia's rope snaps too, she'll be a goner if she lets go. 

Lexa is able to breathe again when Aden strengthens his grip on Clarke’s other hand. She can see how much effort he is putting into it as she sees him biting his lip like he’s in pain.

The wind gets rougher and pulls harder at them. Lexa mutters under her breath. There is no way that she and Aden can hold Clarke much longer like this. She needs both her hands.

Anya shouts a few things. “You can let Octavia go, Lexa. I got her, I swear.”

Lexa bites her lip. She trusts her sister, she trusts her family. She lets Octavia’s hand go and reaches both her hands to grab Clarke, clasping them around Clarke’s arm. From the corner of her eye she sees Octavia has her arms around Anya’s neck, while Anya has one arm strapped around her, holding Raven’s hand with her other hand.

The tornado passes and the wind slowly stills.

“We will take no risk, do not untie yourselves!” Lexa shouts. “Tonight we will sleep here.”

It was not like they had many options anyway. Their hut is destroyed.

“Tomorrow we will see what the damage is and we will make a new hut!”

Lexa’s eyes widen as she sees the blood on Clarke’s arm, where she had held her. This is her fault, she had been digging her nails in Clarke’s arm to strengthen her grip on her, after the blonde’s rope had snapped. Tears threaten to escape her eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Clarke. I never meant to…”

Clarke cups Lexa’s cheeks in her hands. “Lexa, it’s okay.” She kisses her softly. It really is okay.

 

* * *

 

 

Lexa enforces a new rule. From now on, someone will keep watch at night. They cannot take risks. If the tornado would have struck them at night while they slept, it would not have ended well. She will take the first watch this night.

The children struggle to sleep. They are all shaken up by what happened. None of them really seems able to sleep at all. Lexa insists they try, to be strong enough tomorrow.

Clarke is cuddled up in Lexa’s arms.

“You saved me, Lexa.”

“I was not the only one to save you, Clarke. Aden saved you too.”

“You’re right. He did. You did. You both did.”

“I would never let anything happen to you, Clarke.”

“You did well today, Lexa.”

Lexa bites her lip. “I hurt you.”

“Lexa, you had no other choice. I’m okay, it doesn’t hurt.”

Lexa nods.

Clarke cups Lexa’s cheeks. “I love you.” She presses her soft lips against Lexa’s lips. It feels good to kiss her, it always does.

Lexa smiles against Clarke’s lips. “I love you too, Clarke.” She rolls the R and clicks to K.

“Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?”

“I don’t think you have, Clarke.” Lexa whispers softly. Clarke has told her that every day, but she likes to tease her.

Clarke pins Lexa down and kisses her neck until she admits the truth.

Raven has placed herself against Anya, Anya’s right arm slung around her body. Anya would hold Raven with both her arms, but Octavia is sleeping on her left slide, claiming her left arm. She doesn’t blame the younger girl for sticking close to her. She knows it makes her feel safe.

Anya smiles as Octavia mumbles “mammabear” in her sleep. She gently strokes the younger girl’s back. Sure why not, she’ll be a mother to her. She wonders how she ended up on this island like this. She would have never guessed that at eighteen she would live on an island, playing mother for a twelve year old little girl.

Octavia tried her best to be strong and tough. She tried to be like Lexa and Anya. Anya knows how much Octavia has been trying. When she looks at the younger girl, she is not quite like them. When Lexa was twelve, she was fierce and became their leader. Octavia is softer and right now, at age twelve, she isn’t how Lexa were when she was twelve. Anya is thankful for that. None of the children should have to grow up so fast, but Lexa did and she knows she wouldn’t have been able to change that.

 

* * *

 

 

They get up as soon as the sun rises. Today they have to build a new hut.

“How about we make more than one hut this time?” Raven suggests.

Lexa looks at her. “How many do you suggest we make?”

Raven scrapes the back of her neck. “Well, um…. I was thinking one for me and Anya, one for you and Clarke, one for Aden and one for Octavia.” Her eyes blink a few times.

“You want to build four huts?”

“It would be nice if we each have our personal hut, don’t you think? I know you’ll want to share with Clarke, and I want to share with Anya, so four sounds right to me.”

“Hmm.” Lexa thinks for a second. That is not such a bad idea really. Anya is already eighteen and would probably love to have some privacy and eventually the rest of them will age too. “We will build four huts.”

They collect things they need to build their huts and pick out places for them, not too far apart. Meanwhile they search their island to gather their things, which the tornado had scattered across their island.

Raven has a fit when she sees her little tech gadgets ruined. Lexa allows her to get her rage out for a while.

“Raven, I need you to tie tight knots.” Lexa motions her hand towards the new huts they’re building. “I want all of these huts ready before nightfall.”

Lexa watches as Octavia and Anya collect bamboo and sticks.

Aden and Clarke collect leaves for the roofs of their huts.

Raven ties knots.

Lexa makes new hammocks in each hut while the others build them.

When it dawns to Lexa that they’ll need food, she sends Octavia away to collect fruit.

Before the night falls, their huts are finished. Lexa grabs sticks and rubs them together to create fire. The others bring more sticks, so they can build a campfire again. They chant their mantra.

“We do what we must to survive!”

“Strangers are considered a threat!”

“We will protect our family!”

Lexa stands up to speak. “We are drifters. This is our family. We will survive.”

 

* * *

 

 

“It is nice to have our own hut now, Lexa.” Clarke mumbles against Lexa’s lips.

“It was a good idea of Raven.”

“Now we can cuddle without anyone throwing a pillow at us.”

“I love you, Clarke.”

“I love you too, Lexa.”

“We are lucky to be alive, all of us.”

“Yeah, we are. At first I thought we wouldn’t even survive that storm. Then there were those men and then the tornado happened. The last four years sure have been rough.”

Lexa squeezes Clarke’s hand. “Together as a family, we are strong.”

“I’m glad you’re here with me, Lexa.”

“There is nowhere else I would rather be, if not by your side, Clarke.”

“God Lex, you’re such a sap.” Clarke smiles and kisses her girlfriend. “What would the others say if they would know that our commander is such a sap?”

“I think they would say ‘oh, looks like Clarke is kicked out of Lexa’s hut.’”

Clarke gasps. “You wouldn’t!”

“Care to test that theory, Clarke?”

Clarke waves her fingers through Lexa’s hair. “You love me too much.” She smiles while Lexa chuckles.

Lexa has to give Raven more credit for her ideas. Sharing a hut with Clarke while the others each have their own hut was a good idea. Now there is nobody to eavesdrop while she talks to Clarke.

 

* * *

 

 

Jake is in his cabin on Gustus’s ship, skimming through pages of a book when Gustus walks in. The man sits down next to him.

Gustus scratches his beard. “Lincoln is trying to convince me to let him have his own ship.”

“He wants to have his own ship?” Jake puts his book down.

Gustus nods. “Yes.”

“Maybe he wants to be like you, sailing around at sea.”

“That is not the reason why he wants his own ship, Jake.”

“Oh?”

“He told me that when he has a ship of his own, we can split up to search for the girls.”

“You don’t want him to have his own ship?”

“Someday, yes. Right now, not yet.”

“Have you told him that?”

“Yes, Jake. I have. He is barely eighteen I do not want him to sail off on his own just yet.”

“I think he will understand that, Gustus.”

“Do you think I am wrong to deny him his own ship?”

Jake pauses for a second. It is not the first time that Gustus has a conversation with him to ask for advice. “I think you’re doing the right thing by having him wait a bit longer.”

Gustus nods and stands up. “We have to be careful this time at sea. There have been reports of tornados.”

Jake shakes his head. “That does not sound good.” He understands what Gustus is trying to tell him. It might not be safe for the girls, wherever they are.

As Gustus leaves his cabin, Jake hopes that the girls are safe.

 

* * *

 

 

“Octavia, is that you?” Aden peers into the darkness, in the direction of a small figure, lurking in the shadows of his hut.

Aden had almost fallen asleep when he heard someone in his hut. It stirred him awake and forced him to open his eyes again.

“Yes, I’m sorry.” Octavia shuffles out of the shadows. “I….” She looks like she wants to say something, but stops.

Aden crawls out of his hammock. “Are you okay, Octavia?” He trains his eyes on the young girl.

Octavia looks down at the sand. She curls her toes and fidgets with the hem of her shirt. “I’m a bit scared to sleep alone in my hut. I… I’ve never slept alone before a-and after the tornado…I thought of going to Anya, but I don’t want to disturb her from cuddling with Raven… and I thought of going to Clarke but she’s with Lexa… s-so I walked into your hut…” She didn’t know where else to go.

Aden reaches out for Octavia’s hands and waits for her to place her hands into his. When Octavia slips her hands into his, he reels her in for a hug. “It’s okay, Octavia. You can sleep here anytime you like.”

“You won’t tell anyone, right?”

Aden shakes his head. “I don’t think they would mind, but I won’t tell them.”

Octavia clasps her hands behind Aden’s back. He reminds her a bit of her brother, Bellamy. Tears prick through her eyes. She is glad that Raven had seen Aden’s rubber boat and that Anya had brought him onto their island. Aden is a sweet boy and once again he’s being kind to her.

Aden helps Octavia to get into his hammock. He tucks his blanket around her and tells her magical fairy tales, to make her smile.

Octavia nuzzles herself against Aden. “Sometimes I’m scared.” She admits.

“You’re safe, Octavia. I will keep you safe.”

Aden caresses Octavia’s cheek with his thumb until she falls asleep.

 

* * *

 

 

“Good idea to have our own hut, right?”

“Okay, yes, that was a good idea of you. Happy now, Rae?”

“I think I need a little more convincing than that.” Raven smirks at her girlfriend.

Anya rolls her eyes before giving in to her girlfriend. She snakes her arms around her waist and pulls until they’re chest to chest. She kisses Raven’s lips, slowly parting her lips just a tad. When Raven does the same, she gently slips her tongue out, exploring Raven’s lips. Raven opens her mouth a bit more, making it easy for Anya to twist her tongue around her own.

Anya is the first to pull back. “Wow” she whispers, breathlessly.

Raven presses their foreheads together. “Wow indeed.” She leans in for another kiss.

Anya loves how their relationship is getting stronger every day. She loves their connection. She loves…. She loves her… she really, really does.

“I love you, Raven.”

A smile spreads on Raven’s face. “I love you too, Anya.” She readjusts the blanket around them. “You know, it’s pretty great to be here with you and the others.”

Anya nods. It is pretty great. It’s home.

Raven wipes her thumbs gently across Anya’s cheeks. Anya hadn’t even realized she was crying up until then.

Raven kisses Anya’s forehead. “Shh” she wraps her arms around Anya “I got you.”

In this moment, there is no place Anya would rather want to be than right here with Raven.

 

* * *

 

 

Clarke watches as Lexa’s strong, tanned, smooth legs run towards the water. She likes to sneak glances, especially when Lexa is running around in her short black slightly-ripped shorts. Lexa’s brown hair is waving over her shoulders, which she decided not to braid today. Clarke knows Lexa did that for her. Since Lexa figured out that Clarke likes it when she lets her hair down, she doesn’t braid it every day anymore.

Clarke watches as Octavia and Aden are looking for shells close to the water. The last few mornings she has seen Octavia sneak out Aden’s hut. Lexa noticed a few times too, but none of them said anything about it. They know how scared Octavia has been, especially after the tornado happened and Aden, the sweet boy, was always willing to comfort her.

Clarke and Lexa had talked it over with each other a few times. Neither one of them really wanted to say anything about it. Lexa had no issue with it. She had joked to Clarke that Octavia can sleep where she wants as long as she doesn’t cuddle up in their hammock with them, and as long as she doesn’t get herself into trouble.

Clarke watches as Raven and Anya are waist-deep in the water, spears in their hand. They’re trying to spear some fish. A sigh of relief washes over her. At least Lexa didn’t assign her to spear fish today. It was not exactly her most favorite thing to do on the island, to say the least. Despite Lexa being in charge, they did try to communicate with each other which chores they preferred and they tried to create a balance.

Anya and Raven preferred to spear fish, although Clarke thinks Raven only claims she prefers that, so she can be close to Anya during their chores. Raven has never truly been fond of the sea.

Octavia preferred to climb the trees to bring back bananas and coconuts.

Aden didn’t seem to have a preference.

Clarke preferred to wash their clothes and hang them up to dry. She had strung up some rope between two trees, which they use to dry their clothes on.

Lexa preferred to sculpt things with her blade, making sure they always had enough spears and other things they could possibly use.

Lexa gathers all of them in front of their huts. “Time to train!” She motions to Clarke and Aden, while Anya walks off with Octavia and Raven.

Clarke grunts as Aden’s stick hits her legs, making her stumble onto the sand.

Lexa shakes her head and rolls her eyes. “Clarke, you are being defeated by someone who is a year younger than you are.” She smiles a little.

“Well but- he’s a boy!”

Lexa licks her lips. “One’s gender does not define one’s strength, Clarke.”

Clarke scoffs a bit as she gets up. “Fine, you take Aden down then.”

“Very well.” Lexa takes Clarke’s stick out of her hand, not wanting to miss the opportunity to show her how it’s done. “Watch and learn.”

 

* * *

 

 

Anya snatches her blade from her waistband and carves it into the tree. If this goes on, she might need another tree to carve in. The tree is on the left side of the hut she shares with Raven, just inside their hut.

Five years. It has been five years since the storm that brought them to this island happened. Their island.

Anya holds Raven’s hand as they go outside, to meet the others. The others are already sitting on the tree logs, eating fruit. They grab a bowl to eat some.

Lexa clears her throat to speak up. “From this day on, there will be a new rule.” She waits a moment, until the others look at her. “If a stranger ever arrives onto our island, we will pretend we do not speak nor understand English.” She had been thinking about it for a while and figured it would be a decent rule.

Lexa wouldn’t want any strangers to reach their island and ask them questions. If a stranger would ever invade their home again, like those two men once did, it will be better if they assume they cannot speak nor understand their language.

She took a quick swig from the bottle in her hands, filled with water, before passing it on to the others, to let them drink as well.

Lexa orders everyone to get to their chores for the day.

Octavia runs back a little while later, a wide smile on her face. “Lexa, look!” She screeches. The others are running after her.

“Octavia?”

“Look, Lexa, look!” Octavia opens her hands to show what she’s holding. “I found a baby duck.”

Lexa raises one eyebrow. “I don’t think that is a duck, Octavia.” She takes a close look. “I think that is a bird, not a duck. Where did you get it?”

“Well I was climbing a tree and found a nest with eggshells.” Octavia holds her hands up higher. “And my duck was there, so I took him.”

Lexa thinks for a moment. That is really not a duck Octavia is holding. It is a bird. Must have been abandoned. It’s yellow with specks of black.

“Octavia, that is not a duck and – wait, your duck?” It dawns to her that the younger girl referred to the baby bird as her duck – still not a duck though.

Octavia nods. “Yes, my duck. I found him, so I can keep him.” She is determined to keep it.

“Octavia that is not a-”

Lexa is cut off by Anya. “Come on, Lex. If she wants to call it a duck, let her call it a duck.”

“Fine, Octavia you can keep your bir-duck.” Lexa frowns for a moment. “But you will have to take care of him.”

Octavia shouts excitedly. “Thank you!” She gives Lexa a quick hug.

Lexa stiffens. Aside from Clarke, nobody hugs her. She awkwardly pats Octavia’s back until the younger girl lets go.

“Uh…” Octavia shifts on her feet. “I’m sorry…” She knows she shouldn’t have hugged Lexa, but she is so happy she can keep her duck. “Can I still keep my duck…?”

Lexa nods.

Clarke smiles and gently slides a finger over the little bird’s/duck’s/whatever’s head. “Are you going to name him, Octavia?”

Octavia eyes light up. “Can I?”

“Of course Octavia, what is a pet without a name?”

Octavia turns to look at Lexa, she is their leader after all.

Lexa nods.

“Hmm…” Octavia crunches her nose. “Oh I know, I will name him Arcola!”

“That is an… interesting name… how did you come up with that?”

“A for Anya, R for Raven, C for Clarke, O for my name, L for you Lexa and the last A for Aden.” Octavia beams. “See, Arcola!”

Lexa chuckles. “Arcola it is.” She turns to face Raven. “Build something for Octavia’s...duck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Octavia has a pet now.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are some romantic scenes in this chapter.

“Mhm Raven, why aren’t you sleeping yet?” Anya cracks her eyes open to look at her girlfriend. She had felt Raven stirring against her, indicating that she’s still awake.

Raven smiles a little. “I’m thinking about you.”

“What about me?”

Raven caresses Anya’s cheek with the back of her index finger. “Oh just…things.” A smirk appears on her face.

“Things huh?” Anya inches her face closer to Raven’s face.

Raven feels Anya’s breath against her skin. She presses her lips gently against Anya’s lips, fragile and sweet. Slowly she parts her lips, getting more into the kiss, running her tongue across Anya’s lips, eliciting a barely audible moan.

Anya slides her hands over Raven’s back, feeling the shape of their hammock pushing their bodies close together. Her tongue meets Raven’s tongue, waiting to leave her breathless.

Raven pulls away for a second, drinking in the sight in front of her. Anya’s cheeks are red. She can feel a blush creeping up her cheeks, seeing this beautiful young woman in front of her. Her girlfriend, hers alone.

Anya rests one of her hands at the small of Raven’s back. Her other hand slides under Raven’s shirt. She eyes Raven carefully, observing her facial expressions, ready to stop if needed. Her heart swells as Raven smiles at her with a flicker of light in her eyes.

Raven reaches for the hem of Anya’s shirt. She tilts her head a little, asking Anya a silent question. When Anya nods briefly, she grasps Anya’s shirt and rises it up, inch by inch, swiftly pulling it over her head, before dropping it onto the sand.

Anya taps Raven’s shirt. If she is going to be shirtless, then Raven should be shirtless too. That would be fair. Butterflies race through her stomach as Raven nods, allowing her to take her shirt off. She watches Raven as she lifts Raven’s shirt up, antagonizing slow, teasing her with subtle touches.

Raven kisses Anya’s neck, the second they’re both shirtless. She playfully bites Anya’s neck, to get back at her for the subtle touches. She grins as she feels Anya’s heart beat faster against her chest.

Anya responds rapidly. She leaves a trial of butterfly kisses on Raven’s chest. When Raven lingers her fingers close to her waistband, she stops breathing for a moment. She leans her forehead against Raven’s forehead and nods softly.

Raven feels the warmth radiating of Anya’s body, as they’re pressed together, skin to skin.

 

* * *

 

 

Clarke softly kisses Lexa’s lips. She can’t sleep, not yet.

Lexa’s eyes are closed, but she’s still awake. “Sleep, Clarke.” Her voice sounds husky.

“I will, soon.”

“You can sleep now.”

“It doesn’t work like that, Lexa.” Clarke lets out a soft chuckle. “I’ll try to sleep soon.”

“Okay.”

“You’re not sleeping either.”

“I am trying, Clarke.”

“Am I keeping you up?”

“No.” Maybe.

“Can I have a kiss goodnight?”

“I kissed you goodnight when we got into our hammock, Clarke.”

“You’re rejecting the opportunity to kiss me?”

Lexa opens her eyes to look at Clarke. “You have a point.” She leans closer to Clarke and kisses her, smiling against her lips.

“Lexa, you bit my lip!” Clarke sounds astonished as she pulls away.

Lexa lets out a raspy laugh. “I might have.”

“Might have?” Clarke pokes Lexa. “You so did.”

“Well Clarke…” Lexa takes a deep breath. “What do you plan to do about that?”

Clarke giggles as she launches a kiss-attack on Lexa. God, she loves this dork so much.

Clarke nudges her nose against Lexa’s cheek. “I love you so much, you dork.”

Lexa chuckles lightly. “I love you too, Clarke.” She really does.

Clarke wraps her arms around Lexa, while they fall asleep, cuddling.

 

* * *

 

 

The sun is barely up when Octavia walks to the tree logs and sits down. The others will join her soon, she’s sure of that.

Octavia carefully puts her pet, Arcola on the tree log, next to her. He’s tiny, small enough to fit in the palm of her little hand. She takes her blade and cuts a fish into teeny pieces, barely the size of crumbs. She puts the pieces in the palm of her right hand and holds it close to Arcola, waiting for him to eat. She smiles as Arcola eats the pieces of fish out the palm of her hand. It tickles a bit.

The others stoop down the tree logs, one by one.

Clarke sits down next to Octavia. “I see you are feeding your pet.”

“Yes, I am taking good care of him.” Octavia beams proudly.

Raven kneels in front of Octavia. “I’m working on some type of bird cage, I can install it in your hut today, if you’d like.”

“Yes!”

“I’ll get to it after our breakfast then.” Raven stands up to grab a bowl of fruit.

Lexa waits until everyone has a bowl. “Raven, I will let you work in Octavia’s hut today for that cage you are building. Anya, you will spear fish today. Octavia, Clarke and Aden, you three will train with me today. Anya, when you are done, you will join our training. Raven, the same goes for you.” She empties her bowl and dismisses them to get to their chores.

Raven takes Arcola with her to Octavia’s hut.

Lexa waits for Clarke, Octavia and Aden to grab a stick.

“Octavia, approach.”

Octavia does as she’s told. She places herself into a position to fight.

“Clarke.”

Clarke looks at Lexa while she approaches. Lexa wants her to go up against Octavia? But Octavia is the youngest. Sure yeah, Octavia trains too, but she usually trains with Anya and Raven. Anya is Octavia’s mentor after all.

Lexa shifts her gaze to Octavia. “You have been making a lot of progress with Anya as your mentor.” A small smile tugs at her lips. “Show Clarke how it is done.”

Clarke blinks her eyes a few times. It would be embarrassing if she would lose against Octavia, the youngest and littlest one amongst them.

Octavia is fast, really fast. Clarke is not fast enough to block all of Octavia’s strikes. If this would be a real combat with swords or something, she would be dead. She is surprised how hard Octavia is hitting her with that stick. Maybe Octavia is not so fragile after all.

Clarke groans as she falls onto the sand for the tenth time. She swears she can see Lexa smile each time she falls. When she kept losing against Aden, she tried to make excuses like how Aden is a boy. Now with Octavia, she can’t really make any excuses.

Lexa holds her hands up, making them both stop.

“Clarke, you lean on your toes too much. Your balance is off.” Lexa clicks her tongue. “Your moves are obvious before you make them. You hesitate too long.” Her voice softens. “Your defense is not bad, you are just not fast enough.”

Clarke dips her head. “Fair enough.” She mumbles.

“Octavia, you are fast. Your moves are strong and well-aimed.” Lexa smiles briefly at her. “I am impressed, you did well.”

Octavia beams at Lexa’s appreciation. Her eyes notice Anya, leaning against a tree nearby.

“Anya! Did you see me?”

Anya ruffles her hand through Octavia’s hair. “I sure did kiddo.” She looks up at Lexa and smirks. “I told you she’s good.”

Lexa clasps her hands firmly behind her back. “So I’ve noticed.”

 

* * *

 

 

Jake reaches the beach with Gustus and Lincoln. He looks up at Gustus.

“Six years, can you believe that?” Jake shakes his head.

“It has been a long time, Jake.”

“It really has, too long.”

“You have hope they are still alive.”

“I will always believe they are still alive, Gustus. They have to be. Not to sound ridiculous here or anything, but I can feel it in my heart.”

“That is not ridiculous, Jake. I feel it too, in my bones.”

Lincoln pipes up. “I think they’re still alive out there somewhere and we haven’t found them yet, but we will. This time I can be of more help.”

Jake takes a deep breath. It has been six years. Six long exhausting years. Gustus had decided he will allow Lincoln to have his own ship, so they can double their forces to look for the girls. In six years they have seen many islands, many people.

Jake is not quite sure what the girls look like right now, but he feels like he would recognize his daughter anywhere. He hasn’t seen anyone with a pair of blue eyes in the tint of blue from his daughter’s eyes. Perhaps he is a stubborn parent, unwilling to accept his daughter’s death, but Gustus hasn’t given up either. As long as there are no bodies, why would they give up?

Jake wants closure, and he knows Gustus wants closure too. They all do. He lights a few candles, like they do every year. He barely counts five people this year. People really are forgetting and letting it go.

“I will find you Clarke. I’m going to find you and the other girls. I will search for all of you until my last breath.”

 

* * *

 

 

“It’s kinda cool that Arcola sits on your shoulder like that.” Raven grins at Octavia. “It kinda makes you look like a pirate with a parrot.”

“I trained him well.” Octavia smiles and turns her head a little to look at her pet.

“Yeah I guess you did.” Raven shrugs. “When he began to fly, I didn’t think he’d come back.”

“He’s my pet, of course he came back.”

“It’s a shame that he’s not a parrot. Would have been cool to teach him how to speak.”

Anya walks over to sit with them. “Hey babe.” She kisses Raven briefly.

“Hey, how’s that tree carving thing going for ya? Six years, right?”

“Yeah, six years.” Anya sighs. “Who would’ve guessed?”

“I didn’t think you’d still be carving in that tree of yours every morning.”

“Well Raven what can I say? I’m determined, plus it helps to keep track of time.”

“Hm yeah, you do have a point.” Raven looks at her wrist. “It sucks that my watch stopped working. I wish I’d have a battery for it.”

Anya frantically waves her arms around. “Why do you need technology when you got all of this? Clear blue sky, lots of sand, your favorite people, it’s kinda chill here.”

Raven smirks. “Yeah okay, it’s kinda nice.”

Anya is surprised that at age twenty, she is still on the island. She never thought that would happen, but it did. She’s here with the others. She has her amazing girlfriend Raven, who is seventeen. Damn that girl sure is growing up, and how. She loves to watch every morning as Raven gets dressed in their hut. Raven has a killer figure, that’s for sure.

Her sister Lexa is growing up a lot too. Lexa is very strong for the slender girl she is. Not much of a surprise though, she often sees Lexa running around, working out. She can’t believe her little sister is sixteen already. Then there’s Clarke, the blonde who was once so little when they got onto the island, and now she is sixteen. Anya has to hand it to her sister, Clarke is rather pleasant on the eyes, but she can’t hold a candle to Raven, not in her opinion.

Anya thinks about her brother Aden, who is now fifteen. He’s such a good kid. One day he’ll be a fine strong man. She feels like Aden has been spending way too much time with Lexa. Aden is pretty much Lexa’s minion, copying her morals and all that.

Then of course there is Octavia. The younger girl who arrived with them on the island, unable to swim. Octavia who used to be so small, so fragile, so scared. She remembers how she used to think Octavia would be no older than six and how surprised she had been when the little girl had told her she was eight. Now Octavia is fourteen and she has grown up a little. Octavia is still the shortest of them all, but certainly not the least, oh no. When they train, Octavia is determined to kick their ass. She loves how fierce Octavia can be.

Lexa approaches Anya and Raven. “Hey Anya, will you braid my hair for me?”

“Yeah sure.” Anya moves on the tree log. “Here, sit.”

Clarke runs out of their hut. “Lexa, I was looking for you to brush your hair.”

“Anya is going to braid my hair for me.”

“Oh okay, but you’re still going to brush my hair.” Clarke crosses her arms, hairbrush in her hands.

Octavia jumps up. “I can brush your hair for you, Clarke.”

“Sure, O. If Lexa doesn’t mind.”

Lexa chuckles. “Clarke, you are looking for an excuse for me to brush your hair.”

“Fine, Octavia can brush my hair.” Clarke mutters as she sits down in front of Octavia.

“When I’m done, will you braid my hair for me?”

“Yeah sure.” Clarke nods.

 

* * *

 

 

Lexa is sitting down close to the water, entranced for a moment by the waves at sea. Oh how much she misses being out there. She used to spend so much time with her father, on his ship. Each time they sailed out, it felt like an adventure. During the years on this island, she has thought a few times about building a float, but it wouldn’t be safe. It would end up with them floating around at sea with no real destination. And if it sinks, there would only be so long they can swim. No, that was definitely not a good idea.

Besides, Lexa likes this island. She is here with her family. She has Clarke. She has her sister Anya and her brother Aden. Raven and Octavia aren’t bad either. She enjoys each of their personalities, how they are each different and yet they do have a lot in common.

Clarke runs up to Lexa. She bends down a little, places her hands on Lexa’s shoulder and kisses her cheek. “I saw you sitting here, I figured I’d join you.” She sits down and smiles at Lexa.

Lexa takes Clarke’s hands in hers. “I like to sit here, to watch the waves roll at sea.” She hums as she looks out over the sea.

“Our island is great. Looking at the waves is nice, but I mostly like the sky. During the day, it’s bright and blue. At night it’s dark and the stars appear.”

“We should watch the stars again tonight, if you’d like.”

“I would love to, Lexa.”

“We can take our pillows and blankets out to the sand and place them around the campfire.”

Clarke wraps her arms around Lexa and kisses her. “That sounds like a very good idea. We should ask the others too!”

“If that is what you’d like, then I shall ask them.”

Clarke jumps up. “We should go ask them now.” She flashes a big smile at Lexa and grasps her hand.

Together they run towards the others to ask if they would like to join them tonight to watch the stars.

Anya hums. “This is one of those moments where I wish we’d have hot chocolate or marshmallows.”

“What are marshmallows?” Octavia’s face is filled with confusion.

“You never had any of those?”

Octavia shakes her head.

“Well erm… it’s some sort of candy and you stick it onto a stick, then you hold it above the campfire for a few seconds. Then you can eat it and it’s all soft and mushy.” Anya pats Octavia’s back. “I ate it a few times when I went camping with Lexa and…” She swallows the last few words.

Octavia looks up at her. “Oh.”

Clarke groans. “I wish we would have candy here.”

“Ugh you guys.” Raven rubs her hand over her stomach. “You’re making me hungry.”

Anya’s eyes flicker in Raven’s direction. “I can arrange something sweet for you.” She winks.

Raven gasps.

Octavia pipes up. “Can you arrange something sweet for me too, Anya?”

Anya’s cheeks turn scarlet. “Uh…”

Lexa cuts the conversation off. “Okay, I heard enough. Let’s…just… uh, just bounce.” She awkwardly turns around on her heel. “Tonight we will sleep around our campfire.”

Raven nudges Anya and laughs loudly.

“Shut up, Raven!” Anya growls.

“Aw come on, Octavia wants something sweet too.”

“I’ll just…” Anya bites her lips. “I’ll go get some berries for tonight and you go to our hut to get our pillows and our blankets.”

 

* * *

 

 

Lexa mutters to herself as everyone scoots together with their pillows and blankets. This is not what she meant when she proposed this idea. When she asked them if they wanted to sleep under the stars around the campfire, she meant they can sleep there, but not next to her.

Clarke nudges Lexa gently with her elbow. “Come on, Lex. This will be fun!”

The glow of the campfire casts itself around them.

Lexa silently agrees as they all cuddle up against each other.

Raven’s voice rings through the air. “It’s like we’re having a sleepover.” The amused smirk on her face is evident in the tone of her voice.

Anya smacks a pillow in Raven’s face. “Shush.”

“Ow! Anya!” Raven grabs the pillow and tosses it back.

Anya dodges the pillow, making it hit Lexa square in her face. The others all gasp.

Lexa stands up and grabs the pillow. She glares at the others. “I declare a pillow war!” She shrieks as she throws the pillow at Clarke.

They all jump up and grab their pillows, tossing them at each other.

Clarke laughs loudly. “I think we’ll be seeing more stars than the ones in the sky.”

Lexa licks her lips. “I blame Raven.”

Raven stops for a moment. “What? Me? Anya is the one who started this!”

“Hmm…” Lexa’s voice softens. “I have changed my mind.”

They all stop to look at Lexa, wondering if their pillow fight is over.

“We should all attack Anya instead.” Lexa smiles devilishly as she tosses a pillow at Anya.

“Yas bitch!” Raven pumps her fist in the air.

Lexa rolls her eyes. “Language, Raven.”

Anya pushes Raven. “You’re so rude.”

“Pssh Anya, you love me.” Raven snakes her arms around Anya’s waist and kisses her.

Clarke jumps up Lexa’s back and tickles her sides. Delightful chuckles fill the air.

 

* * *

 

 

The next night Lexa sneaks outside with Clarke, while the others are sleeping in their huts. The campfire is crackling, as they lay onto the sand.

Lexa’s eyes drift to Clarke’s luscious lips. She lets her eyes linger there for a moment, before flicking them back up to Clarke’s eyes. She leans in and kisses Clarke, caressing Clarke’s lips with her tongue.

Clarke grasps the hem of Lexa’s shirt and rapidly takes it off. She waits for Lexa to take her shirt off too. She latches her lips onto Lexa’s lips, tender and passionate. Her fingers dart around Lexa’s body, circling around, tracing patterns.

Lexa gently pushes Clarke down onto the sand. She takes her time to map Clarke’s body with her fingers and her lips, kissing every inch of Clarke’s body.

“You are so beautiful.” Lexa’s voice is a breathless whisper. “You’re perfect.”

Clarke is enjoying every second with Lexa. “I love you, Lexa.” Her voice is sultry.

Lexa melts at the sound of Clarke’s voice. “I love you too, Clarke.”

“Lexa, I want you.” Clarke breathes against Lexa’s lips. “I need you.”

Lexa lets out a wretched moan as Clarke’s tongue slips into her mouth. She feels Clarke rolling her over onto the sand, pinning her hands above her head and she lets her. She lets Clarke do what she wants.

Clarke nuzzles herself against Lexa, absorbing the warmth of her skin, as they sleep together, underneath the stars.

 

* * *

 

 

“Clarke and Raven, you two will collect fruit today.” Lexa motions her hands towards them, while she’s dividing the chores.

Clarke and Raven make their way to some banana trees. A while later, Clarke is slowly sliding down the tree she had been climbing moments before. Raven is standing next to the tree with the bananas Clarke had cut loose and that Clarke had thrown down.

Clarke is almost all the way down when she loses her grip on the tree, causing her to fall. She lands on her right foot, then drop onto her back as she yelps.

“Clarke!” Raven shouts and kneels down next to her. “Shit. Clarke, are you okay?”

Clarke is holding her right foot into her hands as she tries to sit up.

Raven grasps Clarke’s hands to pull her up.

Clarke winces in pain when she tries to put pressure on her right foot to walk. “My foot hurts.” A painful grimace appears on her face.

“Here.” Raven bends with her back towards Clarke. “Hop on.”

Clarke slings her arms over Raven’s shoulders. She feels Raven placing her hands around her thighs and lifting her up.

Raven carries Clarke to the tree logs where Lexa is training with the others.

Lexa is watching as Aden and Octavia are battling against each other, when she sees Raven approaching with Clarke on her back. She wonders why Raven is carrying Clarke, because she’s never seen Raven doing that. Her eyes widen when she sees the pain, written on Clarke’s face.

Lexa runs up to Raven and Clarke. “What happened?” She tries to keep her voice from shaking, but she’s too worried.

Raven gently puts Clarke down onto the sand. She allows Clarke to lean on her, to keep the weight off of her right foot.

“Clarke was sliding down a tree. She was almost down when she lost her grip. She made a nasty fall on her right foot.”

Lexa helps Raven to put Clarke on one of the tree logs.

Anya sits down next to Clarke. “Tell me how this feels.” She grabs Clarke’s right foot and moves it around, gently, pressing her fingers here and there.

“It hurts a little… I … I don’t think I can walk around on it though.”

Lexa paces around. “What do you think, Clarke?” Her voice cracks.

Clarke shakes her head. “I don’t know, Lexa.” She has no idea.

“You’re our healer, Clarke.” Raven pitches in. She feels like Clarke should know.

Lexa sighs and holds her hand up to silence Raven. “Clarke was only a child when… Well you know. There is only so much she could have picked up before we got here on our island.” She knows Clarke’s mother was a doctor and that Clarke picked up some things from her, but Clarke was only ten when they got onto their island, she’s not a doctor.

Anya looks frustrated. “Chill out. I don’t think anything is broken. It looks like Clarke sprained her ankle.”

Clarke tilts her head. “How would you know that?”

“I sprained mine when I was younger.”

“How can we help her, Anya?” Lexa’s voice softens.

“She can’t put pressure on her right foot. Crutches can help. She’ll need those for a few weeks. If she lets her foot rest enough, she’ll be fine.”

Lexa turns around. “Aden, Octavia, collect the things I need to make crutches for Clarke.”

Clarke nervously bites her lip. “I’m sorry, Lexa.”

“You’re apologizing for falling down a tree?”

“Yes, it was clumsy of me.”

“Clarke, I should be apologizing to you. I’m the one who sent you there.”

“But it’s not your fault that I fell, it’s mine.”

“Clarke, I’m the leader. I’m responsible for you, to keep you safe.”

Anya clears her throat. She’s heard enough. “Lexa, if you put it like that then it’s technically my fault. You’re our leader, yes, but I’m still the guardian of all of you.”

Lexa shakes her head. “No, Anya, it’s not your fault. I’m the one who has to make sure nobody gets hurt.”

“Lexa, you can’t always avoid someone getting hurt.”

“Yes, thank you, Anya. That has been quite clear the day that man slashed your arm.”

Clarke growls. “Will you two stop bickering!?” She hates how they’re arguing with each other. Lexa and Anya are sisters and they shouldn’t bicker over her little incident.

Lexa takes a deep breath. “I apologize.” She didn’t mean to anger Clarke.

Anya shrugs her shoulders. “It’s fine, Lexa.” She has bickered with Lexa before.

Lexa accepts the wood Aden and Octavia bring her. She takes her blade and begins to carve crutches for Clarke. She measures the height of the crutches by comparing it with her own height and making them a tad shorter, as Clarke isn’t that much shorter than she is.

Clarke laughs when Lexa hands her the crutches she made for her. “I’m such a klutz.” She tries to ease some of the tension that has been in the air.

“It’s not funny, Clarke. You’re lucky you didn’t break anything.”

“I’ll heal eventually. I think the pain in my back will be gone after I get some sleep tonight.”

Lexa snaps up. “Your back? Clarke…” She wonders what’s wrong with Clarke’s back. Clarke didn’t say anything about her back until now.

“Just a bit hurt from the fall. Might bruise a little, nothing bad. No worries.”

“No worries? You’re in pain and I should not worry? Have you met me, Clarke?”

Clarke smiles. “Shh, you love me.”

Lexa rolls her eyes and kisses Clarke.

 

* * *

 

 

Clarke groans while Aden follows her around. Lexa has assigned him to stay close to her. It’s been a week since she fell down that tree, and Lexa is letting the others follow her around like they’re some kind of babysitter. She knows Lexa worries, but this is too much. It’s not like she plans to climb up a tree again anytime soon. Well quite frankly, after her fall, Lexa might not even let her climb up a tree ever again.

She doesn’t mind spending time with Aden or the others, but this whole them following her around isn’t great. They won’t even leave her alone for five minutes. It’s surprising Lexa hasn’t tied her to the tree logs or something, to keep her where she is. She tries not to walk around too much, but she doesn’t want to sit still all the time either.

“You can go, Aden. I’m fine.”

“Lexa asked me to keep an eye on you.”

“Of course she did.” Clarke sighs. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

Aden smiles and continues to follow Clarke, despite her complaints.

“Aden, can you go get some water for me?”

“You won’t run away while I go get water for you, will you?”

Clarke waves one of her crutches around. “Does it look like I would run away?”

Aden nods and leaves her alone for a moment to get some water for her.

Clarke isn’t really thirsty. She will use any excuse she can for any free minutes she can get her hands on. Lexa had wanted to watch Clarke herself, but that didn’t last long. She got annoyed fast when Lexa followed her around 24/7. It was a bit overbearing. That’s why Lexa decided to take turns with the others, not really aware of how equally annoying that is for her.

Aden returns with a bowl of water and brings it up to her lips.

“Aden, my hands work fine. I can hold the bowl.” Clarke takes the bowl from Aden.

“Lexa asked me-”

“Aden, stop. Don’t tell me. I know, Lexa this and Lexa that. I’m not a baby. The things I can do myself, I want to do myself.”

Lexa clears her throat from behind them. “Lexa what, Clarke?” Her arms are crossed, but she’s smiling.

“Um…” Clarke turns around and blushes a bit. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Clarke.” Lexa steps closer towards Clarke to kiss her. “Aden, inform the others that there is no need to follow Clarke around anymore, unless she personally asks for someone to accompany her.”

Aden nods and goes to find the others.

“Thanks Lexa.” Clarke feels relieved.

“I apologize for making you feel like we were babysitting you.”

“Well on the bright side, you carry me inside our hut every night like we just got married.” Clarke chuckles. She remembers how her dad had carried her mom inside their house after they had gotten married.

“I hope we will, one day.”

Clarke chuckles. “Wait, what?”

Lexa purses her lips and walks away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked reading this chapter. I'm not sure how many I'll put up after this one. Perhaps one or two. Something is about to happen, something big.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter mentions blood, so read with care if you cringe easily at that. This chapter also contains sexual tinted scenes. 
> 
> *******************

Tears flow over Jake’s cheeks as he’s standing on the beach with Gustus and Lincoln.

Still no sign from the girls.

Lincoln has been doing so much to help them search for the girls. Now on this dreadful day, they’re at the beach again.

“Eight years, it’s been eight years. Can you believe that, Gustus?”

Gustus shakes his head.

“My Clarke is eighteen.”

“Lexa is eighteen as well, Anya is twenty-two and Raven is nineteen.”

“Octavia is sixteen. When we find them… we have missed their childhood. We didn’t get to see them grow up.”

“I know how painful that is, Jake. Even though we have been missing eight years out of their lives already, it would be great to see them alive again someday.”

“You’re right, Gustus. What matters is for them to be alive. Do you think they changed a lot?”

“I bet they turned into beautiful young women.”

“When do we leave again?”

“We can light a few candles and take our leave.”

“Okay, Gustus.”

Jake struggles to accept that it has been eight years already. His daughter is an adult by now. How did Clarke grow up? Where did she grow up? Is she with the other girls? He has so many questions and no answers.

He wishes he would have prevented the children from ever getting on that ship, eight years ago. He knew something was up with the weather. He tried to warn Abby, but she waved it off. Not that Abby is the one he blames, no of course not. He only blames the weather, the storm. He had a bad feeling about going on that trip before they even left their house. He should have put his foot down and simply told them they wouldn’t go.

The moment Jake had seen Clarke with her little blue backpack and a smile on her face, he couldn’t get it over his heart to cancel their trip, but to what price? Clarke is gone, lost. He hasn’t seen his daughter in eight years. If that’s not bad enough, the Blakes lost their daughter too. He was partially responsible for Octavia. What if Octavia hasn’t made it at all? The girl couldn’t swim when the storm hit them.

Over the years, Jake had many conversations with Gustus. After a while, the man had admitted that when he hoisted the girls on that door on that dreadful stormy day, Octavia had been the first he had lifted up that door, without a life vest, as she nearly had drowned. What if Octavia did drown at some point? He shouldn’t think like that, but it’s been eight years and the chances of seeing the girls alive ever again are getting weaker.

Gustus is a good man. He’s loyal and he has helped him so much. Without Gustus, he would not be able to be out at sea so often to search for the girls. Gustus never charged him for anything. The man had kindly offered him a cabin on his new ship and food, without further ado. Looking for the girls together continued to create a bond between them.

Jake tried to write letters to Abby, his ex-wife, from time to time, but most of them got sent back. He tried to keep her updated, but she wasn’t interested. Abby had moved on. He even caught word through a mutual friend of Abby and himself, that Abby had found a new love with another man. He’s happy for her. It’s good that she moved on, rather than letting it eat her up.

He wonders if his marriage had always been doomed to fail. What will he say to Clarke once he finds her? How will she react to the news? It is hard for him that he missed her childhood. Eight years stolen away, gone forever. He would never get those eight years back. He can only imagine how difficult it will be for Clarke to absorb so much information at once, the day he will finally find her.

Lincoln shares a few words with Jake and his uncle. “I will set course to the south. There are some islands over there I haven’t checked yet. I will radio every week to keep you both updated.” He shakes their hands and leaves with his ship.

 

* * *

 

 

Anya looks at her tree in her hut. It has so many carvings in it by now.

Eight years.

She can’t believe it’s been eight years. It looks like they really got to grow up onto the island. They’re all adults now, aside from Aden who is seventeen and Octavia who is sixteen, but they’ve all grown up. They’re not kids anymore.

Raven pulls Anya into their hammock. “You’re really into that tree of yours.” She mumbles.

“I’m more into you.” Anya smirks and kisses Raven’s nose.

“Pft, that kiss doesn’t count. You gotta up your game, babe.”

“You’re jealous of a tree and you’re telling me to up my game?”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

Anya grins. “I will kiss you in ways you’ll never forget.” She tugs at the hem of Raven’s shirt.

“Mhm can’t wait.”

Anya fondly slides her fingers under Raven’s shirt, savoring the small gasps from Raven. With a few tugs, she manages to take Raven’s shirt off, feasting her eyes upon the sight of Raven’s bare chest.

Raven latches her lips onto Anya’s lips, kissing her with a burning desire, much warmer than the glow of the campfire they always sat close to at night. Her tongue sways across Anya’s bottom lip.

Anya parts her lips and lets her tongue dart out, connecting it with Raven’s tongue. She feels Raven tugging at her shirt. With some reluctance, she pulls back from their kiss, so Raven can take her shirt off.

Raven takes Anya’s shirt off. Before her shirt drops onto the sand, she’s already attaching her lips to Anya’s lips again. She can’t get enough. Her hands trial down Anya’s body, slowly, steady, longing, wanting.

Anya wryly grins at Raven, dipping her fingers, teasingly, under Raven’s waistband. She connects her lips with Raven’s neck and sucks on her pulse point. She was going to make sure to pour all her feelings for Raven into this. This is their private moment in their hut. She is determined to make this night last.

Raven breathes against Anya’s lips. “You know… It’s too warm to wear anything.” She smiles slightly, tugging at the remainders of Anya’s clothes.

Anya smiles back and takes the rest of her clothes off, watching Raven as she does the same.

They press their chests together, like they’re trying to push their bodies into one.

Raven trials her finger on Anya’s arm, tracing lightly around her scar. Even with that scar, Anya is the most beautiful woman she ever laid eyes upon. On their island with such a limit amount of people that may sound obvious, but she’s sure that Anya will always be the most beautiful woman in her eyes, no matter what.

“I love you, Raven.”

“I love you too, Anya.”

“No, I mean, I really, really love you Raven.”

Raven hears Anya breathing a little faster. She kisses her.

Anya stands up and kneels down in front of Raven. She gently takes one of Raven’s hands into her own. Silence fills their hut.

“Raven, I love you so much. You have no idea. We have been together for about six years. It’s been amazing. Every single day with you is amazing. Now, I know we’re stuck on this island, but I mean, look around? It’s pretty great here, right? We have our hut, our family. This is our home. Now I know I’m not able to give you a fancy ring.” Anya’s hands are shaking as she holds up a necklace made out of shells.

“I know things are different here, and they always will be. We’ll have to be a bit creative. You’re stunning Raven, absolutely stunning. I’ve always liked you. I met you as the sassy smart kid and you’ve always had this certain coolness around you. We’ve always been close. When we got onto our island, you saw me in ways the others couldn’t and you still see me in ways they can’t. I know you’re the one for me, Raven.” She takes a step closer, the necklace firmly in her hands. “Raven, will you marry me?”

Raven gasps. Tears spill over her face.

Anya stops breathing while she waits for Raven’s reaction. After spilling all those feelings, she feels like water is filling up her lungs.

Raven wraps her arms around Anya and cries on her shoulder. “Yes, Anya. I will. Fuck yes.” She wipes the back of her hands across her cheeks.

Raven has always known Anya loves her and their relationship has been going steady and strong. She knows their love has always been deep and serious. Even though it has always been serious, it caught her by surprise that Anya proposed to her. She feels like life can’t get any better.

 

* * *

 

 

Raven admires the necklace Anya gifted her. She’s sitting on the tree log next to Anya. They got up a little before the sun rose, to get there first. They’re holding each other’s hand, fingers laced together. A smile is plastered on their face.

The others reach the tree logs and grab their bowls to eat breakfast. For a while, nobody says anything.

Clarke stares at Anya and Raven. She has seen them smiling at each other a lot, but now it looks like they can’t stop smiling at all. She nudges Lexa and points briefly at Anya and Raven.

One by one, they’re all looking at Raven and Anya.

Raven nods a little and stands up.

“Anya proposed to me last night and I said yes.” Her flush red.

Lexa gasps. “You two are getting married?” She did not see that coming.

“Yes, we are.” Anya smiles, grasping Raven’s hand to pull her onto her lap. “I hope we can arrange something here on the island.”

“Uh y-yeah… Of course, we can, we will.” Lexa shifts awkwardly. “Today?”

“Sure, today sounds good.” Anya smiles. “Someone will have to perform the ceremony to tell us to kiss the bride.”

Lexa peers around, looking for volunteers. “I suggest you both take your picks for what you need, this day belongs to you.” She feels like it wouldn’t be right to order everyone around today.

Anya licks her lips. When she was younger, she saw a few romantic movies. “Lexa I want you as my best man.”

Lexa quirks her eyebrows. “But I’m a woman…”

Anya chuckles. “It’s just a thing, kinda like you’re my witness or something. So yeah, I pick you for that.”

“Oh okay.”

Raven looks around. “Hmm I pick… Octavia.”

“Yas she picked me.” Octavia beams. “In your face bitches.”

Lexa rolls her eyes. “Octavia, language.” She knows Octavia picked it up from Raven and she doesn’t particularly like it.

Anya wants to give everyone a part in the wedding. “Aden can be the one to tell us to kiss the bride, after we exchange our vows. Clarke, you can be a bridesmaid and you can toss some leaves around for us.”

Anya jerks up. “We’ll need a dress.”

“Oh we have a suitcase with some dresses, you can take your pick from those.” Clarke suggests.

Lexa claps her hands. “Alright everyone, let’s get this going.”

Lexa hugs Anya. “I’m so happy for you, Anya.”

“I must say, I’m a little surprised you haven’t asked Clarke yet.”

Lexa chuckles lightly. “Ah yes, I plan to, at some point. Today is about you and Raven. I wouldn’t want to steal your thunder.”

“I would have chased you all over our island if you’d get married before me.”

“Hmm, sounds like I should get married today and push your wedding to tomorrow or something.”

Anya growls lowly. “You wouldn’t do that to your sister.”

“You really love Raven, don’t you?”

“Yes, Lexa. I really, really love her. I’m crazy about her.”

Lexa nods.

Raven ruffles through some suitcases, looking for a white dress. She finds one that reaches to her knees. There’s a flower pattern on the dress.

Anya fishes a suit out of the suitcases. It’s a neat looking suit, a few sizes too big. Raven scoffs when she sees Anya in the suit. The white button up piece looks more like a short dress. She has to use some rope to hold the black pants up around her hips.

Their clothes are nowhere near perfect, but their wedding will be because it’s theirs. They don’t care about the clothes and other things, they just want to get married.

Octavia walks in Anya’s hut as she’s getting ready. “I made a flower crown for you.” She flashes a cute little smile while she holds up said flower crown.

Anya takes it from her. “Aw, that’s so sweet of you. I love it!” She ruffles Octavia’s hair.

Even though Octavia is no longer that young little girl, Anya is fond of her and they share a special connection.

“Can I braid your hair for your wedding?”

“Sure, why not.”

Anya sits down and patiently waits for Octavia to braid her hair. Meanwhile Clarke is dragging Raven away to help her braid hers too.

Clarke nudges Lexa. “You have to put on a dress, Lexa.”

“What, why?”

“All the girls are putting on a dress for the wedding.”

“Anya is not, she’s wearing a suit.” Lexa shrugs. “I can wear a suit too.”

“Lexa, just pick a dress and put it on.”

Lexa grumbles. Fine, she’ll wear a dress. She finds a fuchsia-colored dress and puts it on. Octavia puts a flower in her hair.

Clarke wears a light blue dress. She has a flower in her hair too.

Octavia finds herself a black dress. She smiles as she puts it on.

Aden is wearing a white dress. Lexa made him wear it on purpose, telling him “If I have to wear a dress, so do you.”

Aden had wanted to protest, but Lexa is the commander. If Lexa tells him to wear a dress, he has to wear a dress and if she tells him to jump, he has to ask how high. Okay, Lexa wasn’t all that bad, but letting him wear a dress is evil. After this day, he will bury every dress they have to make sure Lexa won’t make him wear one ever again.

Thus, Anya is the only one wearing a suit, while the others are all wearing a dress.  

Lexa builds a campfire when the night settles in. She sits down on the tree log, next to Octavia. Aden is standing next to the campfire, biting his lip for his role in Anya’s and Raven’s wedding.

Raven and Anya approach them from the beach. Clarke is walking in front of them, tossing leaves around in front of their feet. When they are in front of the others, Clarke sits down next to Octavia and Lexa.

Aden clears his throat. He tries to remember what Anya had practiced with him from movies she had seen, although it wasn’t exactly the same. He’s nervous to handle this task.  

“Dearly beloved, we have gathered here to gay….”

The others chuckle loudly. It had been Raven’s idea to let Aden say it like that.

Aden pretends he doesn’t hear them chuckling and goes on. “…to witness this wedding and whatever.” He sighs, Anya had not been able to give him enough lines and he really has no idea what he’s doing. “Raven, are you taking Anya?”

“Damn right, every night!” Raven shouts. She feels Anya’s elbow in her side. “Yes, I take her.”

Aden looks at Anya. “Anya, are you taking Raven?”

Anya tries to stifle a laugh at Aden’s wording. She wonders if Raven is behind that too. “Yes, I… I take her.” Her cheeks flush.

Raven’s face has all the signs of her being the guilty one for Aden’s words. Anya will get her back for that later.

“You two take each other, so you can share your vows.”

Anya faces Raven. “Raven, you are smart, talented, amazing, beautiful and so much more. You have been my friend, my girlfriend and now I’m standing here in front of you, waiting for you to become my wife. I love you so much, even when you’re a total ass sometimes.”

Raven wipes a tear away. “Anya, you’re strong, funny, caring and by far the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen. You have been my friend since the day I met you at school. You have been my girlfriend here on our island and now I’m standing here to become your wife, so you can become mine. I love you, babe.”

Aden takes their hands and lets them hold each other’s hands. “You can kiss your bride now.”

Anya and Raven lean in, closing the gap between them with a sweet, soft kiss.

When they pull away, they can’t stop smiling. The others are all crying happy tears.

Lexa stands up, hands her blade to Anya and bows lightly.

They had decided to build their own wedding ritual, by sealing it with a blood oath.

Anya takes the blade in her right hand. She waits for Raven to hold the palm of her left hand out to her. As a sign of trust, she has to make the cut in Raven’s palm, drawing some of her blood.

Raven stands strong as Anya makes the cut in the palm of her left hand. When Anya is done, she takes the blade from her.

Anya hold the palm of her left hand open in front of Raven, letting her make a cut as a sign of trust.

Lexa takes a bowl and holds it out to them.

Anya looks at Raven. “I hereby bound my blood to yours, for all eternity.”

Raven bites her lip. “I hereby bound my blood to yours, for all eternity.” She repeats.

Raven and Anya grasp each other’s hand and squeeze it above the bowl.

They burn the blood that they have sacrificed as a symbol of their eternal love.

Lexa, Clarke, Aden and Octavia stand in one line in front of Anya and Raven. They bow their heads in respect to the newlyweds.

Raven and Anya drop to their knees for the last part of the ritual.

Lexa places her right hand on top of Anya’s head and her left hand on top of Raven’s head, blessing their wedding.

Lexa clears her throat. “Drifters, today we have been honored by the marriage of Anya and Raven. May they live a long and happy life together, bounded as one, for eternity.”

Lexa holds her arms out, strong and firmly, for Anya and Raven.

Anya and Raven clasps their arms respectfully around Lexa’s arms as they stand up.

“Thank you, commander.”

Lexa turns around on the ball of her foot. “Let us dance.” She wasn’t one to dance, but it had been suggested as a celebration of Anya’s and Raven’s wedding.

 

* * *

 

 

“I think your sister is really happy, Lexa.”

Lexa cuddles up with Clarke in their hammock. “Mhm yeah.” She agrees sleepily. “I’m happy that she’s happy.”

“Raven fits her like a glove.”

“They are a good match, that is true.”

“I remember you once told me something about hoping to be married, Lexa.”

Lexa makes some sleepy noises and nuzzles herself against Clarke’s shoulder. She smiles as Clarke pokes her. They have time and their time will come.

“Lexa, are you still awake?”

No response.

“I want to kiss you goodnight, Lexa.”

Lexa opens her eyes and finds Clarke’s lips, kissing her softly.

Clarke smiles into their kiss. She knows that when she mentions a kiss, Lexa always manages to hear her. She thinks that even if she’s somewhere up a tree or in the water, Lexa would still hear her.

Lexa toys with the hem of Clarke’s shirt. “May I?” Her voice is soft and husky.

Clarke answers Lexa with a kiss. Of course she can.

Lexa’s slender hands slip under Clarke’s shirt, slowly rising up. She takes her time to see the reaction on Clarke’s face with every move she makes, ready to change if there’s even a fraction of disapproval, but there isn’t, there never is.

Clarke licks her lips, slowly, teasing, challenging Lexa to kiss her. She longs for Lexa’s soft lips on hers, to lap them together and breathe as one.

Lexa hums when Clarke kisses her neck, down to her collarbone. Their clothes long dropped onto the sand. “Clarke.” She clicks her tongue, the way Clarke likes it. “Please.”

Clarke wraps her arms around Lexa, gently digging her nails in Lexa’s back.

Lexa maps Clarke’s body with a mixture of sloppy wet kisses, tender fragile kisses and fiery passionate kisses, leaving a hickey or two on Clarke’s neck. Her eyes flick up from Clarke’s lips to her sky blue eyes. If she’d have to drown someday, she’d prefer to drown in Clarke’s eyes.

Clarke loops one of her arms behind Lexa’s neck, resting her hand in the nape of her neck, pulling her closer, while her other arm slides behind Lexa’s back, resting her other hand in the small of her back.

Lexa bites Clarke’s bottom lip, gently and with care at first, rougher when Clarke moans. She grinds her hips against Clarke’s, smashing their bodies together. Being this close to Clarke is breathtakingly perfect yet torturous at the same time. She can never get enough of Clarke.

Clarke nibbles Lexa’s lip with her teeth. She leans closer to Lexa’s ear. “Lexa, please.” She whispers in a sultry tone.

Lexa feels her breath hitch in her throat as Clarke whispers in her ear. She brings one of her hands down to Clarke’s thigh, to the place where Clarke needs her the most.

Clarke fists her hands in Lexa’s hair and carefully scrapes her skull. She kisses Lexa to still the sounds of the moans escaping her. If she doesn’t, it is possible the others will hear it in their huts.

Lexa straddles Clarke, smiling at her. She’s so in love with this girl. Her beautiful drifter. “I love you Clarke.” Lexa whispers earnestly.

Clarke’s lips curve into a small smile. “I love you too, Lexa.”

“I love you most.”

“It’s not a competition, Lexa.”

“Of course not. If it was, I’d win.”

“You’re already the best when we battle, do you have to win this too?”

“What can I say, Clarke? I’m competitive and dedicated.”

“You already won my heart.”

“I will take good care of your heart. Will you take care of mine?”

“Of course, Lexa. You dork.”

“I’m your dork.”

Clarke can hear the smile in Lexa’s voice. “Yes, you are.”

Lexa flutters her eyes shut. Even with her eyes closed, she can feel Clarke’s gaze on her.

“Clarke, you’re staring.”

“How do you do that every time? Your eyes are closed.”

“Because you are predictable, my love.”

Clarke can’t deny that. For Lexa she has always been predictable. Not that she can’t see through Lexa as well. They can read each other like a book. The only thing Clarke can’t really predict is which moves Lexa will make when she’s battling against her or the others.

That one time were Lexa’s fist landed against her jaw made sure of that. That was also the last time Lexa did that. It was so cute, Lexa felt so bad, Lexa had been so sure she would be able to block her move, but she had been too slow. Lexa had apologized immensely for that mistake.

Lexa leans closer and kisses Clarke, whimpering as Clarke’s fingers slide down. She clutches onto Clarke’s chest, waves shudder through her body, faster than the waves at sea.

When Lexa is breathless moments later and Clarke is proudly grinning at her, she’s more than ready to return the favor, twice.

 

* * *

 

 

Anya scoops Raven up and carries her inside their hut. She tries to be romantic, but her little stumble over a shirt that’s lying around onto the sand makes their entrance clumsy.

“Smooth, Anya.”

Anya looks at the shirt she nearly tripped over. “Looks like your shirt though.” She gently puts her wife down.

Flowers are scattered onto the sand in their hut. Anya had wanted to go with rose petals, but they don’t have those on their island.

“This is amazing, Anya.”

“Yeah?” Anya smiles at her wife.

“Yes, really. Our island is a beautiful location. Our wedding was perfect, Anya, absolutely perfect.”

“It really was. I agree that our island is beautiful, but no beauty can compare to you, mi Corazon.”

Raven dramatically places a hand on her heart. “You got me there. Swooning all over me again.” Teasing lingers in her voice.

“I’m surprised you didn’t faint during our blood oath.”

Raven scoffs. “I’m not afraid of a little bit of blood.”

“You’re not a fan of it.”

“I survived.”

“That you did. You always do.”

“Anya, are you going to get all mushy again?”

“Your deep brown eyes keep me going Reyes.”

“Now you’re going to spit rhymes with my last name?”

Anya leans in and kisses Raven. “Shut up, you love me.”

“Mhm, I do love you… unfortunately.” Raven playfully winks at her wife.

“You’re stuck with me for eternity now.” Anya smiles like she has won.

Raven flashes Anya her signature smirk. “You got the goods, Anya Woods.”

“Well who’s being tacky now?”

“Shut up and kiss me, Anya.”

“Such a romanticist you are.”

“Do I need to remind you that you proposed to me?” Raven wraps her arms around her wife and kisses her. “I’m happy we’re married, babe.”

“I’m glad you said yes. I didn’t have many options. Lexa is my sister, Clarke is Lexa’s girlfriend and Octavia is like a sister/daughter sort of.”

“Hey!” Raven pushes a laughing Anya. “Good thing we made that oath.”

Anya breathes against Raven’s lips. “Mhm, I’d make that oath every day over and over again, if that can show you how much I love you.”

“Who would have thought? Anya Woods, a total sap.”

 

* * *

 

 

Lincoln is sailing around with his ship. He just left from an island, where there had been no sign of the girls. He did see locals on the island, but not Lexa or Anya or the other girls.

He grabs his radio to report to his uncle Gustus. The radio croaks as he pushes some buttons.

“Uncle Gustus, it’s me Lincoln.”

_“Did you find anything, Lincoln?”_

“No, uncle, I haven’t. I apologize. I wish I had.”

_“It’s okay. Jake and I are headed east, towards a few islands we haven’t searched yet.”_

“There sure are many islands to search. I wonder how long it will take before we’ve searched every island.”

_“Yes, it is a long process, Lincoln. We have to hope that we well find them and hopefully they are not moving around to places where we have already searched for them.”_

“It’s a big stretch. How are you holding up?”

_“It is tough, Lincoln, but us Woods are strong.”_

“Yes, uncle, of course. How is Jake holding up?”

_“He is having a rough time, especially with the fact that the children are not children anymore. He feels like he is missing out now that their childhood has passed.”_

“He is a strong man, he holds hope in his heart.”

_“I am concerned about his health. It appears Jake is sick and I think it may be something serious. We will search through two islands east, then we will sail back to the beach. I think I need to take Jake to a hospital.”_

“I hope he will be okay, he’s a good man and it will mean the world to him once he finds his daughter.”

_“Let me know if you find anything. Keep me updated.”_

“Yes, uncle. I will talk to you again soon.”

Lincoln breaks the radio contact. He anchors his ship somewhere at sea. According to his radar, it is detecting an island. His map however, claims there is none. An undiscovered island, perhaps? He decides he will travel the last clicks with his motorboat to check it out.

It takes Lincoln a while to find the island. It appears to be a lot smaller than any other islands he has searched. He taps his pocket where he keeps a picture of Anya and Lexa.

Lincoln sees someone on the island. Okay, so it is not deserted. The person on the island looks like a woman, perhaps, but he needs to get closer to know for sure. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter did not disappoint. Writing sexual scenes is not my forte. I've tried to wave it into the story, because I felt like it is needed to make their connections stronger and to develop their bonds. I don't go too explicit however. To be fair, I was chuckling a lot while writing those scenes. I couldn't keep a straight face (ha). As a graysexual, it was slightly awkward. I'm more the romantic type. Anyway, I hope it isn't too bad. 
> 
> The next chapter will be more about Octavia.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dun, dun, dun.

Octavia is close to the sea when she sees a motorboat approaching the island. A man gets out of the motorboat and steps onto the island. The stranger approaches her. It looks like the man is reaching for something in his pocket.

Octavia holds her spear firmly in her hands, pointing it at the invader. She peers around. The invader is alone. There is no sign of any other invaders.

“Whoa, hey I won’t harm you.” The man holds his hands up.

Octavia doesn’t trust him. She doesn’t say anything. A rule of her family is to pretend they don’t speak nor understand English, in case a stranger would approach them. She grits her teeth. In one swift move, she strikes her spear against the invader’s legs with the flat side, making him drop onto his knees. She doesn’t wound him, not yet. If the invader doesn’t attack her, she won’t wound him.

They don’t hurt innocents. When someone invades their island, they scare them away. Only if invaders attack, they can wound them to defend their family. She has never seen any invaders, since those two men that one time, where Lexa ended up throwing a spear into one’s chest and letting the other leave. She was very young back then, it’s a vague memory.

This man in front of her, on his knees looks strong, yet he does not move. There is no sign at all that he plans to attack her. She can see the man looking at her, curiosity on his face.

Octavia doesn’t blame the man for appearing so curious. The man is nearly twice her size. He is muscled and at least one head taller than her. She watches him open his mouth to say something, but before he can, she holds her spear close to him. Whatever it is he wants to say, she doesn’t want to hear it. She pulls some rope out of her pocket.

The man doesn’t move when she approaches him to tie the rope around his arms. When she is done, the invader suddenly lifts his arms up, over her head, trapping her in between them. Octavia groans, making her frustration clear. She thought she had him. She turns around to look at him. His expression is soft, unlike the tight grip he has on her.

“I am not here to harm you.” The invader whispers. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Octavia is annoyed. Why would she trust this stranger? Why would she believe that he won’t harm her while she is stuck in his grip? She balls her fists and punches the man into his chest. He grunts lowly, but he doesn’t let her go.

“If I let you go now, will you cut the rope?” The invader’s voice is deep this time.

Octavia does not plan to cut the rope.

The man sighs. He softens his grip on Octavia and lifts his arms back up, so she can escape from his grip. Octavia looks at him. She grabs her spear and motions for the man to stand up. The invader struggles to get up because his hands are tied. Octavia reaches one of her arms out to pull him up. She prepares herself to drag the stranger along. It is easier than she thought it would be, the invader follows her willingly.

The rest of the drifters must be elsewhere on the island, perhaps they are collecting fruit or they could be at the waterfall. Octavia decides to bring the invader to her hut. She grabs several branches to cover up his motorboat, while the stranger has a confused look on his face.

Once inside her hut, she pushes him against one of the trees, in the center. She grabs more rope and ties the man to the tree.

Octavia takes two steps back and slides down onto the sand, eyeing the man. He looks like a young man, a few years older than Aden, at most. Her eyes lock with the invader. He has been following her eyes as she was scanning him. Okay she is in her hut, with a stranger tied against a tree. This stranger did not harm her. She should have scared him off of the island, like she is supposed to do.

She ponders what she’ll do with him. He doesn’t look like he would just leave. He doesn’t look scared at all, not even for a split second. She won’t kill him, he hasn’t harmed anyone. She thinks about the mantra, strangers are considered a threat. This man is a stranger, yet he doesn’t look like a threat at all. He could have choked her when he had her gripped between his arms, but he didn’t. The man had let her go, not knowing if she would cut him loose.

The man clears his throat. Apparently he wants to say something again. Octavia tilts her head, giving him a short nod.

The invader opens his mouth to speak. “I’m Lincoln.” His voice is hushed.

Octavia licks her lips. That name, it is vaguely familiar, but she can’t place it.

The man tries to point one of his fingers at himself. “Lincoln.” He repeats it a few times.

Octavia wonders if the stranger thinks she’s an idiot. Anyone would understand that the man is trying to tell her what his name is. She tries not to laugh, not wanting to give away that she understands everything he says. Instead, she nods. When the stranger stares at her, probably wanting to know her name, she doesn’t say anything.

 

* * *

 

 

Lexa is at the waterfall with Clarke, Raven, Anya and Aden.

“Where is Octavia?” Clarke looks around the river, no sign of Octavia.

Lexa shrugs. “I guess she’s running around somewhere again.”

“Hmm yeah probably, she does run around on her own a lot lately.”

Lexa pulls Clarke closer to kiss her. They’re sitting in the water at the river. It reaches up to their chin.

Raven splashes water at them.

“Raven!” Clarke splashes water back at Raven. “Take that.”

Lexa stands up. “How dare you splash me, Raven?” She tries to sound offended.

Raven smiles and splashes her again.

“Anya, I’m going to kill your wife.”

Anya looks up. “Good, can I help?” She approaches Raven to splash her.

Raven fake-gasps. “My own wife…teaming up against me!”

Anya playfully pushes Raven into the river. “Love you!” She giggles as Raven groans.

“I want to ask something.” Clarke’s voice silences them. “Something I’m wondering about.”

Lexa holds her hand. “What is it you want to ask, Clarke?”

“Well, today I was looking for a dress to put on. The thing is, I didn’t find any. Like literally, not one dress. I don’t mean as in not knowing what to wear, no, I literally couldn’t find a single dress. It is like all our dresses went up in thin air. So yeah, I’m wondering if anyone knows what happened to our dresses?”

Raven is quick to reply. “Lexa was pretty frustrated when she had to wear that dress at the wedding. Maybe she made them vanish?”

“I did no such thing.” Lexa defends herself.

Raven holds her hands up. “Okay commander, just saying, you don’t like dresses.”

“That is true, but I am not the reason they appear to be gone.”

Clarke knits her eyebrows. “Hmm, it’s weird that they’re gone.”

Aden stares at the waterfall. “It is unfortunate. May they be found soon.” May they not, he thinks.

When the others were sleeping last night, he had snuck out of his hut and collected all the dresses to bury them. It was awkward to collect them. They were in Anya’s and Raven’s hut. He had heard them chuckle in their hammock as he snuck in to steal all the dresses. Luckily they were too occupied with each other to even notice him. Now that they’re all buried, Lexa can’t make him wear a dress anymore.

Clarke sighs. “I suppose they’ll turn up somewhere.” She has no idea where they went.

Lexa glares at Aden. She smiles weakly at him, but she says nothing. She had laughed last night when she heard something outside. Clarke was already asleep when she slipped outside to check it out. What she saw in the darkness of the night as she lurked in the shadows of her hut was Aden burying all the dresses. All she could think in that moment was that she should have buried the dresses herself. She feels proud of her brother.

She knows Clarke might miss her dresses a little, but she’ll survive it. She gives Aden a knowing look and a wink while the others are busy splashing each other with water. She won’t rat him out.

Aden stiffens at first, because Lexa must have busted him, but he relaxes when he sees her smile.

Clarke perks her ears. “Hey, shhh.” She tries to make everyone stop splashing water around. “I think I hear something coming from the sea or something.” She listens as the others are silent now, but she doesn’t hear it anymore. Hmm, strange.

“I don’t hear anything, Clarke.” Raven tilts her head. “Could have been a wave.”

Clarke nods. “Yeah, I must have heard it wrong.”

Raven stands up. “I challenge you all to a duel.”

“Here in the river?”

“Yup.”

Lexa stands up. “What kind of duel do you suggest, Raven?”

“We could go two against two and one is the judge, or three against two works for me as well. The first group to get tackled three times loses.”

Anya smirks and links her arm with Raven’s arm. “I say we take it up against them, wifey.”

Raven kisses her wife. “I like the way you think.”

Clarke scoffs. “You two want to go up against Lexa, Aden and me?”

Raven takes a step closer to Clarke. “Yes, we do. You see, for starters Anya and I are the oldest and we’re a little taller. Plus, Clarke, you suck at battles.”

“Oh you’re on, Raven.” Clarke glances at Lexa. “We’ll take them down, right?”

Lexa nods. “Aden and Clarke, you two can take Raven down. I’ll take Anya down.”

Raven plunges into the river as Aden and Clarke jump on her at once. “Not cool guys.”

Clarke pats Raven’s back. “I thought you could handle it?” She winks.

“Fine, 1 point for you guys.”

“1-1 actually!” Anya shouts as she pushes Lexa into the river.

Lexa rises up from the water and jumps on Anya like a tigress, knocking her down.

“I think what my sister meant to say is that we have 2 points, while she and Raven are losing with one point.” Lexa’s mouth barely spilled the words when Anya tugs at her ankle, making her fall into the river.

When Raven and Clarke both fall into the river at the same time, they end up with a 3-3 tie.

Lexa is too competitive to settle with a tie. She kicks her leg against Anya’s thigh, knocking Anya into the river. When Raven tries to retaliate, she kicks her into her chest, making Raven fall on top of Anya.

Raven turns around to look at her wife. “Good catch.”

Anya groans. “Get off of me.”

“Blame your sister, she kicked us down.”

“Yes, I felt that.” Anya glares at Lexa.

Lexa clears her throat. “Blame Raven, she made the challenge.” She looks around. “We should go back and see where Octavia is.”

 

* * *

 

 

There is some noise outside. That must be the others. Octavia quickly stands up. She places one finger against her mouth. The stranger nods at her, understanding he has to be quiet.

Octavia runs out of her hut to meet up with the others. She’s not sure what she’s doing exactly. Taking a stranger into her hut and leaving him there is not what she should do, not what she should have done. She’ll keep this from the others, for now.

Lincoln is a bit speechless as the girl runs out. When she pointed her spear at him, he thought she was going to attack. He was surprised when the girl didn’t wound him. Instead she made him drop onto his knees and proceeded to tie his hands.

All he had wanted to do was take a picture out of his pocket. Maybe the girl thought he was reaching for a weapon. He had been to a few islands. The locals were different on each island, but there had never been one where a spear was pointed at him and where he ended up being tied up.

Lincoln sighs. All he wanted was to show the girl a picture of Anya and Lexa, who got lost at sea after that storm eight years ago. He has his own ship and always reported to Gustus about the islands he went to. He had anchored his ship and went onwards with his motorboat. He wonders if the girl plans to keep him as a prisoner or worse. It didn’t seem like she understood him. Maybe she can’t speak at all.

People on the islands always react differently when he shows them the picture of Lexa and Anya. They didn’t draw weapons though. One time he was on an island and showed the picture of Lexa and Anya to a man. The man was wearing baggy clothes and looked sloppy. When the man took a look at the picture Lincoln showed him, the man screamed his lungs out and ran away, shouting bloody murder. That was very strange.

Lincoln knows the girl can’t be alone on this island. There had been some muffled noises outside and the girl had made it clear he has to be silent. He could disobey her and shout if he wants, but perhaps the girl is trying to protect him from others on the island. It is rather odd that the girl had covered up his motorboat with branches. Clearly she is trying to hide him from whoever else is on this island.

Gustus is going to have a good laugh when he gets away from this island and tells him how a girl made him drop onto his knees and tied him up against a tree. Something about the girl intrigues him. Her black hair was wildly braided. He wonders if anyone ever attacked the girl or tried to attack her. People don’t just point a spear at someone for no reason.

 

* * *

 

 

“What took you so long, Octavia?”

Octavia looks at Lexa, who is standing in front of her with her arms crossed.

“I went into my hut to get another shirt.” Octavia lies. Bad idea.

“Is that why you are still wearing the same shirt?”

Octavia might as well slap herself right now. A shirt, really? That was the best excuse she could come up with? Of course Lexa is perceptive to see through her words. “I decided to keep this one on.”

“You are acting strange, Octavia.” Lexa shakes her head. She has no idea what’s up with the younger girl. “The others are waiting.” She points towards the tree logs next to her own hut.

Octavia is thankful that her hut is further away from the others. She joins them on the tree logs.

Clarke smiles and hands her a bowl of fruit. While the others aren’t looking, Octavia slips some berries into the pocket of her shorts.

Raven pushes a handful of berries into her mouth.  “We swallenched eawch othew in the rivew.” She mumbles as she chomps her berries.

Lexa rolls her eyes at Raven. “Raven challenged Clarke, Aden and I to go up against her and Anya.” There’s a hint of amusement in her voice. “Raven and Anya lost.”

Clarke chimes in. “You should have seen the way Lexa kicked Raven right into her chest, O.”

Octavia pipes up. “Sounds awesome, I wish I would have seen her do that!”

Lexa lets out a raspy laugh. “We could battle tomorrow, I’ll show you.”

Octavia stands up and looks at Lexa. “Sounds cool. I’m going to read in my hut for a while, is that okay?”

Lexa cocks her eyebrows. Octavia wants to go to her hut to… read? The younger girl never showed any interest in books at all. “Octavia, did you hit your head?” There has to be a logical explanation for her behavior.

“What?” Octavia shakes her head. “Lexa, no. I just want to spend some time alone.”

“Okay, you can go.”

Octavia heads back towards her hut. She is relieved with the knowledge that nobody would dare to enter her hut. They had a rule that they would not enter each other’s hut, to grant each other some privacy.

The stranger, Lincoln she recalls, looks at her as she enters her hut. She takes the berries out of her pocket. She brings one up to his mouth, but he’s not opening his mouth. Perhaps he’s not hungry or maybe he thinks she’s trying to poison him. She puts one of the berries into her own mouth. She grabs another and holds it up, in a questioning way. Lincoln nods and opens his mouth. She feeds him a few berries.

Octavia decides she will hide Lincoln’s motorboat better at night when the others are sleeping.

 

* * *

 

 

Clarke sighs while she plays with a lock of Lexa’s hair.

“Is something wrong, Clarke?” Lexa looks into Clarke’s eyes.

“I’m worried about Octavia.”

Lexa waits for Clarke to continue.

“She is acting a bit weird lately. She spends more time alone now.”

“I have noticed as well.”

“Do you think it has something to do with the fact that Anya and Raven are married and the fact that we are a couple? Like, maybe she feels left out or something?”

“I am unsure, Clarke.”

“I mean, it never looked like that’s a problem for her and Aden is alone too. Not that I’m saying she can go be with Aden, I know they’re not close like that. It’s just that Octavia is sixteen now and she never even kissed anyone, maybe she wants those things.”

“I shall have a word with her tomorrow.”

Clarke chuckles lightly. “No, Lexa, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” She slides a finger against Lexa’s lips. “I mean, you’re not really one for tact. I’ll talk to her.”

Lexa nods. If that is what Clarke wants to do to ease her concern, then so be it.

“Out of curiosity, what would you have said to Octavia?”

Lexa licks her lips before answering. “I would have asked her if she has a problem with the relationships on our island. Then I would have a word with both Aden and Octavia, to ask if perhaps Aden wants to grant Octavia her first kiss.”

Clarke’s jaw drops. “Lexa, you can’t be serious!” She laughs. “You can’t ask someone to kiss Octavia. I don’t think Octavia would be happy with that. It’ll be better if I try to talk to her.”

Lexa inhales deeply. “You gave me my first kiss and you asked me back then.”

“Yeah Lexa, I did, but that was different. I’m actually into you. I doubt Octavia is into Aden or anyone for that matter.”

 

* * *

 

 

Octavia sneaks out. The others are all sleeping in their huts now. She grabs extra branches to cover up Lincoln’s motorboat. This is a bad idea. The others won’t be pleased if they find out what she’s doing. She doesn’t even know what she’s doing. Perhaps she should take this chance to release Lincoln and send him away, but what if he’s dangerous and what if he comes back with reinforcements to threaten her family?

She can’t take the risk. She had pointed her spear at him and then she tied him up to a tree in her hut. That is not exactly the most welcoming way. If she lets him go, he might retaliate and come back with weapons. She will observe him to figure out what he’s like.

Octavia sneaks back into her hut. She freezes for a second as Lincoln’s eyes linger on her. Apparently he’s still awake. She grabs more rope and ties it around his ankles. The look on Lincoln’s face almost makes her smile. It is like he’s trying to say ‘I’m already tied up, do you really need to tie my ankles too?’

When she’s done tying the rope around his ankles, she grabs her blade. Lincoln doesn’t move when she approaches him, he doesn’t even flinch. She cuts the rope loose from the rest of his body, leaving only his ankles tied, giving him the opportunity to move around a bit. She couldn’t leave him strapped against her tree. Now Lincoln will be able to sit down onto the sand and lie down when he wants to sleep.

Octavia tucks her blade into her waistband. She’ll keep it close, in case she needs it. She grabs one of the blankets out of her hammock and drapes it over Lincoln’s shoulders. She takes a pillow and puts it down onto the sand, next to Lincoln, while his eyes follow every move she makes.

“Thank you.” Lincoln whispers.

Octavia says nothing. She remembers the rules. She cannot let him know she understands him.

Lincoln must believe that she doesn’t understand him. He suddenly grabs her hand.

Octavia tries not to jump up at the sudden touch. She reaches for the blade in her waistband with her other hand.

Before Octavia can pull her blade out, Lincoln presses a kiss onto her hand. He has a soft smile on his face and he slowly nods his head. After that, he lets her hand go.

Octavia gets it. He was thanking her. That must be it. He thanked her in a way he thinks she would understand. She releases her grip on her blade. She lets herself slide down onto the sand, against a tree in her hut that’s a bit separated from the tree Lincoln is leaning against.

She must have fallen asleep at some point. She jerks up when she feels something touching her feet. Instinctively she grabs her blade and holds it out in front of her. It is Lincoln, he has moved away from the tree he had been leaning against and he is holding the blanket she had given him in his hands. She sees now that the movement she felt against her feet had been the blanket. Lincoln had tried to drape the blanket over her, but couldn’t reach further than her feet, due to the limited length of the rope around his ankles.

Octavia is confused. She didn’t mean to fall asleep while Lincoln wasn’t sleeping yet. She was going to watch him. Why would he try to place the blanket over her? Is this another way of him to thank her? Is this his way to thank her for the berries she gave him earlier? She realizes she’s still holding her blade out, as Lincoln is scooting away, back to the tree.

Arcola flies around in her hut and lands on her shoulder. She can see Lincoln watching her as Arcola bumps his head against her chin. It is something Arcola does sometimes. Octavia figures it is Arcola’s way of greeting her.

 

* * *

 

 

“Hey, Octavia, can I talk to you for a bit?”

Octavia jumps up at sound of Clarke’s voice. She had left her hut and made her way to the tree logs before anyone else got up. She didn’t want to risk anyone calling her while she would still be in her hut. Lincoln is in her hut and she doesn’t want him to know her name.

“Yeah sure Clarke, what’s up?”

“Well uh…” Clare rubs her hand behind her neck. “Is something bothering you?”

“No?”

“You seemed a little off.”

“Everything is fine, Clarke.”

“You took off to your hut early yesterday.”

Octavia crosses her arms. “And that’s a crime?”

“No.” Clarke shakes her head. “That’s not what I meant… we- I’m just worried.”

“Did Lexa put you up to this?”

“It was my idea to talk to you.”

“Okay, fine.” Octavia sighs and sits down on the tree log. “Talk.”

“How do I put this… um… is it difficult for you to see Raven with Anya and to see me with Lexa?”

“What do you mean, Clarke?”

“I mean… like…is it bothering you?”

Octavia grabs Clarke’s hand. “Clarke, you’ve been together for… what? Six years? Why do you think it would suddenly bother me?”

“I don’t know, it’s just that you’re sixteen and… maybe I got the wrong idea.”

“You think?” Octavia chuckles.

Octavia takes a deep breath. She has to be careful. They already noticed she was acting weird.

Lexa gathers them all to battle against each other. They sit down onto the sand, waiting for Lexa’s orders.

“Anya.” Lexa motions for Anya to stand up. She gives Anya a stick and takes one for herself. “Octavia, watch closely and I will show you that kick you would like to see.”

Octavia rubs her hands together. Oh this is going to be good. She would vouch for Anya, but it would be cool to see Lexa kick her mentor’s ass. She likes Anya, but seeing Lexa kick ass is far better.

Anya takes a swing at Lexa with her stick. Lexa lifts her stick up and blocks the move Anya tried to make on her, right after blocking the move, she strikes. They keep striking and block for a while. Lexa manages to snap the stick out of Anya’s hands. To even the battle field, she drops her own stick.

Lexa kicks her foot right into Anya’s chest. Anya expected that move and grabbed Lexa’s leg, making Lexa stumble.

With a soft thump, Lexa falls onto the sand. She leans on her hands and swings her legs around, hitting Anya right under her knees, making her fall too. When Anya is down, she climbs on top of her.

Anya rolls Lexa over and scrambles back up.

Lexa quickly tucks, rolls on her back, pushes herself up with her arms and jumps up.

Octavia cheers. “Awesome!” She loves it when Lexa does that and what she loves even more is that Lexa taught her that move a while ago.

Anya groans. “Octavia, I’m your mentor, you’re supposed to be on my side.”

Octavia blows Anya a kiss. “Love ya!”

Anya scoffs. “Fine, I’ll forgive you if you win the next battle.”

“Oh you’re on!” Octavia jumps up.

Lexa looks around to see who she’ll let Octavia battle against. When her eyes linger on Clarke, she laughs as Clarke is shaking her head. Of course Clarke doesn’t want to battle against Octavia. Clarke has met the sand too closely already after every battle she had against Octavia.

“Aden, approach.” Lexa decides to pick him.

It takes Octavia mere seconds to make Aden lose his stick. She drops hers for a hand-to-hand combat. She grabs Aden by his neck and lifts her right knee up, pulling him towards her knee, strongly hitting him in his stomach.

Aden groans. He pushes Octavia back and elbows her. He looks defeated when Octavia wins, but he politely bows and shakes her hand.

“Good battle, Aden.”

“You’re a worthy opponent, Octavia.”

Lexa smiles warmly and dismisses them. Aden is good, really good even, but Octavia is simply just that little bit better.

 

* * *

 

 

Octavia is sitting close to Lincoln, waiting for him to empty the bowl she had given him. When he’s done, she takes the bowl from him and puts it aside. She flinches when Lincoln reaches his hand out and tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Lincoln smiles at her. “You are so beautiful.” He whispers.

Octavia’s eyes widen and she’s pretty sure she’s blushing now. She isn’t used to hear something like that.

Lincoln’s eyes widen too now. “You understand me, don’t you?”

Octavia feels like she can scold herself now. Her reaction to his compliment had given her away. She has been hiding him for a few weeks now and she has been careful, up until now. If her eyes didn’t give it away, the pink on her cheeks sure did. She takes a deep breath and nods.

Lincoln prods a little. “Can you talk?” His voice is warm.

Octavia hesitates. Of course she can talk, but the rule is that she shouldn’t. She’s not allowed to talk to strangers. Then again, she’s definitely not allowed to keep a stranger in her hut. She doesn’t need to ask that to know that’s not okay. This is not like the time she asked Lexa if she could keep her pet, Arcola. No, this is a stranger, a young man, a handsome man but that’s a detail and he’s an invader.

 Lincoln goes on. “Can you tell me your name?” His voice is gentle.

Octavia shakes her head. Isn’t it enough already that this stranger knows she can understand him. She’s not going to break any more rules than she already has by telling him her name. At least if Lincoln somehow escapes and crosses Lexa’s path, he won’t be able to say ‘I was in Octavia’s hut.’ So no, she won’t tell Lincoln her name.

“If you let me go to my ship, I can come back with food.” Lincoln whispers. “I have potatoes and other things.”

Octavia shakes her head. She can’t let him go. Even if he does come back with food, what is she supposed to say to the others? Is she supposed to say ‘Oh yeah I fished potatoes out of the sea.’ No, that’s not going to happen.

 

* * *

 

 

“Abby, I’m glad you’re here.” Gustus politely shakes Abby’s hand.

Abby sighs. “I’m only doing my job, Gustus.” She’s a doctor, it is what she does.

Gustus had brought Jake to the hospital and he had called Abby to ask specifically for her. Abby had agreed, as she was about to pick up her shift an hour later anyway. Jake had looked pale lately and Gustus feared for the man’s wellbeing.

Abby takes her clipboard. “We took some blood samples and we will run a few tests. I’ll let you know something as soon as I know more.”

“Thank you, Abby. Is it okay if I visit him?”

“Third floor, room 306. Don’t stay too long, he needs to rest.”

Gustus nods and makes his way to go to Jake’s room at the hospital. He knocks on the door before entering.

Jake smiles as Gustus walks in. He still looks a bit pale, but not too bad.

“Any word from Lincoln yet, Gustus?”

Gustus scrapes his beard. “I am here for you, not to discuss Lincoln’s travels.”

“Gustus, I’m fine. I know you’re worried about Lincoln, you can talk to me about it. So, any word from him yet?”

Gustus shakes his head. “It’s been a few weeks. Not a single word.” He has no idea where Lincoln is.

“Have you tried radioing him?”

“I have tried every day. There is no response so far.”

“I hope you hear from him soon, Gustus.”

Gustus points at the food that’s close to Jake, barely touched. “Bad food?”

“It’s hospital food.”

“I’ll stay in the hall. You can call if you need anything.”

“You don’t have to do that, Gustus. You don’t have to stay here at the hospital with me.”

Gustus holds his hands up. “I insist. I’ll be out in the hall. You need to rest, doctor orders.”

“Abby is a tough cookie, isn’t she?”

“A little.”

Gustus goes out into the hall. There is a chair. He wonders if Abby has put it there while he was in Jake’s room. He stays awake all night, in case Jake needs anything.

Abby approaches Gustus the next morning. “Did you stay here all night?”

“Jake is a friend.”

“Right.” Abby clicks her pen. “I have the lab results.”

“Well doctor, what’s the verdict? Is Jake going to be okay?”

“We figured out what is wrong with him.”

Gustus nods. “Is it bad?”

“Jake is anemic according to the results of his blood test.” Abby fishes a box of pills out of her pocket. “Make sure he takes one of these every day and he’ll be fine.”

“Thank you, Abby.”

 

* * *

 

 

Octavia is offering Lincoln a blanket when he suddenly caresses her cheek. She could jerk away, she could tell him to stop, but she doesn’t. Instead she sits down next to him onto the sand, under the blanket. She feels guilty for still having a rope tied around his ankles.

She doesn’t move when Lincoln puts one of his arms around her shoulders. She leans into his touch. For some reason, she wants to trust him. She wants to believe Lincoln is a good man. His warm breath against her skin sends electricity through her body.

Octavia hasn’t felt this for anyone before. Her heart is beating faster and she wonders what this means. She so close to this stranger, who is barely a stranger anymore, so close she thinks she can hear his heartbeat.

She bites her lips when Lincoln cups her cheeks in his hands. She should stop him now. Lexa would be so mad, but Lexa isn’t here. Lexa doesn’t know that she has a man in her hut. Nobody knows she has a man in her hut. She should pull away, but she doesn’t want to. She blinks her eyes a few times. Lincoln is staring at her.

It has been a few weeks. She has managed to hide him and sneak him food and water for a few weeks now. She still hasn’t decided what exactly she plans to do with him. Should she let him go? It may be a little too late for that now. What if she tries to sneak him out and gets caught by Lexa or one of the others?

Her face is closer to Lincoln’s. Did he move in closer to her or did she move in closer to him? She’s not sure. She should move away from him. What is about Lincoln that draws her to him so much? If anyone else would come so close to her, she would kick their ass for sure. She feels Lincoln gently wrapping his arms around her. She feels so tiny in his arms.

When Lincoln closes the small gap between them, she closes her eyes. Lincoln’s lips are softer than she expected his lips would be. With a shaky breath, she kisses him back. Her first kiss. Her first kiss ever. This is her first kiss and she’s kissing Lincoln, the stranger, the invader who she should not even have here in the first place. In her defense, he did kiss her first, but she kissed him back.

It dawns to her that Lincoln doesn’t even know her name. In fact, she hasn’t said a word to him at all. During the weeks she kept him, she would only nod or shake her head. She enjoyed how Lincoln had picked up her habit and used body language too. She doesn’t want to tell him her name. Okay yes, she kissed him but if he somehow escapes, she doesn’t want him running around, saying her name. Perhaps a fake name would do the trick. Hm, fake name. She has her pet bird, Arcola. Lincoln knows she has a pet, but not what her pet’s name is.

Octavia opens her mouth to speak, barely whispering.

“Arcola, my name is Arcola.”

 

* * *

 

 

Lexa is sitting on the tree log with Anya, Raven, Aden and Octavia. Clarke is still sleeping, she didn’t want to wake her yet and she wanted to discuss some things with the others anyway, so this was the perfect moment to do so.

Anya smirked after Lexa explained what she had been meaning to tell them.

“Just don’t tell Clarke, not a word.” Lexa lifts her finger up as a warning. “Got it?”

Raven nudges Lexa gently with her elbow. “Damn, Lexa. I must say, I’m impressed.”

Octavia smiles brightly. “Clarke is going to freak out.”

Lexa looks up at her. “Shush, Octavia.” She warns her with a strong voice.

Aden smiles. “I agree with Octavia.”

“You know what I’ve said. You all know what to do. Not a word about this to Clarke. I’m serious.”

Raven smirks. “You’re whipped, Lexa.” Her voice is light and amused.

Lexa holds her hands up to silence them. “You all have to be silent, Clarke is still sleeping and she could be up soon, I don’t want her to hear any of this.”

Anya stands up and pats Lexa’s back.

“I gotta admit, Lex. This is kinda big.”

“Yes, Anya, I get it. Now shush.”

“My sister, this makes me smile.”

“Anya, try to contain yourself. Please.”

“Lex, this is huge. You’re going to propose to Clarke!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How's that for a surprise? (Well maybe not really a surprise, of course clexa is important in this story.) I hesitated at first to reveal what Lexa had been telling the others, but I thought aw okay why not. 
> 
> And Octavia, so sneaky, letting Lincoln think her name would be Arcola. I wonder, did anyone saw that twist in the story coming? :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa proposes to Clarke. 
> 
> Warning for blood being mentioned in this chapter.

Lexa sits in silence with Raven, Anya, Aden and Octavia. They’re eating some fruit, while they’re waiting for Clarke to wake up.

Lexa has arranged everything. She assumes Clarke will say yes. She hopes she will say yes. Oh god, what if she doesn’t say yes? Okay no, they have been together for a long time. She has to keep breathing. She’s never been this nervous. It is not like she proposes to someone regularly and it’s not like she’s proposing to just someone. No, this is Clarke. Her Clarke. Her amazing, beautiful girlfriend she’s been with for about six years.

She loves Clarke, so much. Clarke makes her ache in all the right places. When Clarke kisses her, she thinks her heart can’t beat any faster and then it does. How has she been so lucky to end up on this beautiful island with Clarke? It’s all perfect. The only thing that makes it a little less perfect is the silent pain Clarke has been carrying, and she knows it. She knows how much Clarke misses her father. Even when Clarke doesn’t tell her, she knows it.

Lexa misses her father too, but the possibility that he has drowned is high. After all, he was in the water, which was cold mind you, and he pushed their door away right before another wave hit him. That wave must have pulled him down. Even if her father did survive that wave, he might have still drowned by another or by how cold the water was. If she could bring anyone on the island by snapping her fingers, she would bring Clarke’s father to the island.

She would give anything to see Clarke smile. She tries to make Clarke happy as much as she can. Most of the time, Clarke does seem happy, but she knows better. Of course Clarke misses her father. From the stories Clarke has told her, she can understand that Clarke had a close bound with her father.

Lexa remembers the movies Anya told her about, when she asked for some advice. Her sister had watched more romantic movies in her youth than Lexa thought she would have. She never thought her sister would be such a sap. Maybe it runs in the family, after all, Clarke calls her a sap too. From what she had gathered, it would have been sweet if she would have been able to ask Clarke’s father for Clarke’s hand.

She hopes Clarke’s father made it. If anyone of the others made it through that storm, she hopes it’s him. Of course she hopes the others made it too, but if only one was able to make it, she really hopes it was Clarke’s father. It feels like a slight betrayal for her own family, for her father Gustus and for Lincoln. The thing is, she has her sister Anya on this island and her brother Aden.

She knows that Clarke does not have family on this island. All Clarke had was her mother and her father, which she may have lost thanks to that storm all those years ago. Sure they treat each other as family on this island, but it is clear to tell who is actually family and who isn’t.

Lexa can see Aden smile at her. He probably knows she’s thinking about a million things again. She’s glad she has him as her brother. They may not be related, but Aden will always be her brother. She feels for him. The boy, who is now not re        ally a boy anymore, has accepted Anya and her as his sisters so easily. It saddens her that Aden lost his real family, and that he had seen his parents drown. She is grateful she didn’t personally watch anyone drown, and even more grateful that Clarke didn’t see anyone drown.

Sometimes she had nightmares. In her nightmares, the storm was happening all over again and she saw everyone drowning and they were all screaming. In some of them, she even saw Clarke drowning. When she had a nightmare, Clarke was quick to wrap her arms around her and to offer comfort, telling her it was just a dream. There have been times where Clarke had nightmares too. She could feel a pang in her chest each time Clarke would scream for her dad.

When Clarke had nightmares, she would tell her she’s safe. She would rock Clarke in her arms and sing softly to her, soothing her or tell her stories to lull her to sleep. She would caress Clarke’s cheeks until the tears no longer escaped her eyes.

Lexa smiles when Clarke walks out of their hut. There she is her beautiful girlfriend. Wife to be, or at least she really, really hopes Clarke will be her wife. The smile on Clarke’s face gives her a good feeling.

When Clarke is done with her breakfast, Lexa takes her hand.

“You have all been told your tasks, you know what to do.” Lexa speaks in a calm tone.

Clarke looks at Lexa. “What is my task?” She waits for Lexa’s orders.

“We are going to the river for a while.”

Lexa entwines her fingers with Clarke’s fingers. She turns around a little, to wink at the others, without Clarke noticing.

 

* * *

 

 

Lexa sits down in the river. She holds her hand out for Clarke. The second Clarke takes her hand, she pulls her close.

“Do you like it here, Clarke?”

“Here at the river or here on the island?”

“The river is on our island, if I say here on our island, it would include the river.”

“Lexa…”

“Yes, Clarke. Here on our island, do you like it here?”

“Yeah it’s nice. Plus I have you here, so that’s great.”

“Do you think you can see yourself living here forever?”

Clarke twists around a little to face Lexa. “Do you think we will be living here forever?”

Lexa sighs. She doesn’t want to say something that would possibly upset Clarke. “I think it is likely that we will, yes.” She doesn’t want to feed Clarke false hope.

“Well… I guess I can see myself living here forever. I mean, we have our own family here, us drifters. I don’t know what it would be like if we would ever go back, after all those years.” Clarke sighs deeply. “The memories from back then are vague.”

“Do you want to talk about the things you remember about your life before our island?”

“Sure yeah, but if I tell you, will you tell me?”

Lexa’s lips curve into a smile. “Of course I will.” She relaxes and waits for Clarke to talk.

“Okay well…” Clarke nestles herself onto Lexa’s lap. “I remember how my mother was always busy. She was a doctor and she worked a lot. When I got sick, she was tougher to me than my father was. I never really had a close connection with my mother. She did talk to me about medical things, but I never understood much of it. I think she wanted me to be a doctor too, someday. When I was still with my parents, I used to color a lot and my dad would bring me things I could use to color with. Sometimes my dad took me on trips while my mother was busy working. I was the one who…” Her voice breaks. “I convinced them to go on a boat trip with me.”

Lexa can hear what Clarke is telling her. She doesn’t have to say the words, she can hear it in Clarke’s broken voice how she thinks she’s responsible for what happened. She cups Clarke’s cheeks gently in her hands.

“Clarke, what happened was not your fault. Your parents loved you, so very much.” Lexa wishes she could do more, be more.

Clarke nods. “What about your life before the island, Lexa?”

“I spent a lot of time at sea with my father, Gustus. Lincoln was there too and my sister, Anya. Aside from sailing, we often went camping. From a young age, I got used to spend time in the woods, on islands, you name it. My father taught us all survival skills. Raven joined us too, at some point. Anya met Raven at school one day. She talked about how there was a girl in her class, three years younger. Anya talked about how smart and sassy Raven was. She befriended Raven and found out Raven had a lot of problems with her mother. Raven was on the verge of being an orphan when we took her in.”

Clarke smiles. “Your family is something special, you know?”

Lexa tilts her head. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, your family took Raven in. Here on the island, you and Anya took Aden as your brother. So yeah, your family is special.” Clarke places her hand on Lexa’s heart. “You have a good heart, like the rest of your family.”

A blush creeps up on Lexa’s cheeks. This is perfect, Clarke is perfect.

Lexa grabs Clarke’s thighs and hoists her up, allowing Clarke to wrap her legs around her. She walks with Clarke to the small waterfall. When she reaches the waterfall with Clarke, she steps under it, with Clarke still firmly wrapped around her.

Clarke is smiling. Her blue eyes shine brightly, much brighter than the sun.

Lexa connects her lips with Clarke’s lips, kissing her with all she has. She wants to pour all her love into Clarke, to make her feel how much she loves her and will always love her.

Clarke feels her blood rush through her veins. Her kiss with Lexa is filled with passion. She loves kissing Lexa under the waterfall.

Their shirts are soaked from the water, but they don’t care. Once they get out of the river, the sun will dry their shirts quickly anyway.

Lexa kisses Clarke’s nose, to hear the chuckle that bubbles up from Clarke’s lungs and escapes her mouth. She loves to tease Clarke with kisses.

Clarke catches Lexa’s lips with her own, for a hot feverish kiss, making the temperature rise. Her tongue seeks entrance when she presses it lightly against Lexa’s lips. Entrance which Lexa gladly grants her, letting her own tongue find Clarke’s to return the favor.

Lexa brushes her nose against Clarke’s lips. “I love you, Clarke.” She loves her so much.

Clarke smiles. “I love you too, Lexa.” She does, so much.

 

* * *

 

 

Aden is digging into the sand, nearby their huts.

Raven nudges Aden. “I can’t believe you’re the one who buried all our dresses.” She didn’t think Aden would have it in him to do that.

Aden digs deeper into the sand. “I did it so I wouldn’t have to wear a dress anymore. Lexa made me wear one for your wedding with Anya.”

“I could have sworn Lexa would have been the one who buried them.”

Octavia chuckles. “What I can’t believe is that Lexa knew Aden was the one who made the dresses disappear and she didn’t rat him out.”

“I’m not surprised.” Anya pitches in. “Of course Lexa covers for Aden.” She doesn’t blame Lexa, of course she covered for their brother. She would have done the same.

Raven laughs. “Poor Aden, all that trouble to burry our dresses only to have Lexa make him dig them up again.” She watches amused as Aden digs into the sand.

“I’m only digging them up again because Lexa promised she will not make me wear one again. She wants them so Clarke can select a dress.”

Raven sits down. “You know Aden, if I was you, I would have buried all the dresses and leave one.” She smirks.

Aden nods. “I should have thought of that.”

“Nah that wouldn’t have made a difference.” Anya replies. “Lexa would make you dig them all up anyway, to let Clarke choose.”

Raven looks up at Anya. “You know, I know you’re a sap, but damn I gotta hand it to Lexa, that girl might out-sap you.”

Anya snorts. “Out-sap? Really Raven?”

“What? It’s true.”

“Fine, but I’m still the one who got married first.”

“You want to be the sappiest?”

“Shush Raven, we have things to do.” Anya turns around, ready to walk away.

Octavia stands up to follow Anya.

“How do you feel about your sister picking you for when she stands there to marry Clarke?”

“I was a little surprised at first, but it makes sense since I’m her older sister. Although I did think she was going to pick Aden.”

“Maybe she doesn’t want Aden to say things like ‘Lexa, are you taking Clarke’ because well stuff like that was gold at your wedding.”

Anya groans. “Shut up, Octavia. That was all Raven’s fault.”

“Lexa is quite fierce, I bet when she’s with Clarke-”

“Octavia! You’re talking about my younger sister. I don’t want to hear stuff like that.” Anya whines. “You sound like you’re into girls. God our island is so gay.”

Octavia gives Anya a push. “I’m just saying, when Lexa fights it is epic. I don’t think I’m into girls. If I was I’d probably have noticed. But I can tell when a girl is hot, I have something called eyes.”

“Oh well in that case.” Raven clears her throat and walks up behind them. “Who do you find the hottest on our island?”

“Uhhh…” Octavia flushes. Lincoln, she thinks. Definitely Lincoln, but she’s can’t tell them that she’s attracted to a stranger she’s keeping in her hut. “I guess…. Uh Aden!”

Octavia is relieved to see that Aden is too busy digging up the dresses he buried to even notice her conversation with Raven and Anya. If he did notice, then he’s ignoring it.

Raven laughs. “I was asking which girl here you find the most attractive, but hey good to know you’re pining after Aden.” There’s a playful tone in her voice.

“What!? No, no I don’t.” Octavia looks at Aden where he’s digging the dresses up. She wishes she could bury herself now. “Fine, I would have to say Lexa or Clarke or Raven or Anya, gosh I don’t know!”

Raven shakes her head. “That’s not really an answer, O.”

Raven is curious to know. She can’t ask any of the other girls. Anya would pick her because they’re married. Lexa would obviously pick Clarke and Clarke would pick Lexa because they’re lovesick for each other. Plus Octavia isn’t related to anyone here, so she’s a good candidate to ask.

Octavia fidgets with her hands. “Okay, fine I’ll say it like it is, but don’t laugh!”

Raven and Anya nod. Octavia isn’t really convinced, but she continues anyway.

“Well… Lexa looks really good. She has a perfect tan. When she fights she’s awesome, damn if I was gay, yeah I’d do her.”

Raven and Anya snort. “Wait until Lexa hears about this.”

“No, don’t tell her!”

Octavia isn’t done yet, so she goes on, because she doesn’t want them to think she’s all into Lexa or something.

“Clarke is equally attractive because have you seen her eyes? Blue, so blue and she has a pretty smile and okay, she’s just really pretty. Raven, equally attractive as well. I mean come on sassy, smart, Latina chick and when you mumble in Spanish it’s so hot. Anya, equally attractive as well, damn woman you got a killer jawline and a fine body.”

Anya looks like she has seen a ghost. “Awkward… so… awkward.” She turns to face Raven. “I hate you for asking her that.”

Raven smirks. “Aw come on, babe. It’s nice to hear.”

“Octavia is like… she’s like a sister sort of, so yeah no… I don’t need to hear her say those things.” Anya rolls her eyes. “You totally corrupted her. I don’t want to hear Octavia say she thinks I got a fine body, it’s awkward, I practically raised her.”

Octavia sighs. “Well I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s embarrassed.”

Raven eyes Octavia from head to toe. “Let’s see, Octavia.” She smiles. “You’re kinda cute and you’re hot when you’re kicking someone’s ass. I’d say, cute but deadly.” She wraps her arms around Anya. “If I wasn’t so much into my wife and if you’d be a little older, cuz I like them older, I might do you.”

“Eh… thanks?”

Anya nudges them. “Can we stop the chit chat and get back to our tasks?” She doesn’t want to hear more.

“Yeah, we probably should or Lexa will release her wrath upon us.” Octavia agrees.

Raven flashes Octavia her signature smirk. “I bet you’d do her if she’d kick your ass.”

Octavia groans. “We have things to do.”

Anya pushes Raven. “Stop teasing Octavia like that.” She kisses her wife to wipe that sassy look off her face.

 

* * *

 

 

Lexa takes Clarke’s hand to pull her out of the river. She snakes her arms around Clarke’s neck and kisses her, tender and caring.

Clarke eagerly kisses Lexa back, tasting the berries she ate for breakfast.

“Do you trust me, Clarke?” Lexa holds Clarke’s hand and looks at her.

Clarke answers without missing a beat. “Yes, of course.” She trusts Lexa, no doubt about that.

Lexa leans closer to whisper in Clarke’s ear. “Close your eyes and don’t open them until I tell you to.” Her voice is soft, calming.

Clarke nods and closes her eyes. She feels Lexa taking her hand, guiding her. She smiles when she feels Lexa’s hands firmly on her hips, probably to avoid having her bump against a tree. Her heart is beating fast. She doesn’t know what’s going to happen, but she trusts Lexa. She hears the sound of waves nearby. The beach, Lexa must be bringing her to the beach or their hut.

Clarke takes a few deep breaths. She bites her lip, but she doesn’t open her eyes. Lexa told her not to open her eyes until Lexa tells her so. She will wait. Lexa is guiding her with so much care, it warms her heart. Her voice is like a sweet melody in her ears. She makes a note to herself that she will ask Lexa to whisper more often like that. It’s entrancing, alluring.

Lexa is nervous, so, so nervous. She’s never been this nervous before. She’s whispering softly to Clarke, to avoid Clarke hearing how nervous she is. She hopes Clarke thinks her hands are still wet from the water from the river and not because she’s sweating a little. Luckily Clarke’s hands are wet too, so she doesn’t think Clarke will notice.

Her time with Clarke in the river was to spend some time alone with Clarke, but it was also a distraction. Clarke bought it, of course she did. It had been so easy for her to sneak Clarke to the river, to lure her there so the others could prepare what she asked them too. She reaches the beach. This is going to be it. She quickly drops Clarke’s hand, worried Clarke would feel her heartbeat somehow.

Lexa glares at Clarke for a while. She’s so beautiful. Soon she’ll tell Clarke to open her eyes and those illuminating blue orbs will stare right into her soul. She prepared this, she’s ready. She whispers to Clarke to wait a moment, to keep her eyes closed.

Silently, she slips away and goes to the others, who are sitting on the tree logs. She whispers, so Clarke won’t hear her. The waves at sea will sound over her voice. She’s far enough away from Clarke now.

“Is everything ready?”

The others nod.

“Good.”

Lexa goes inside her hut to get something she needs. She hurries back to Clarke, not wanting to keep Clarke waiting any longer. She kneels down in front of Clarke, this is it, this is the moment she’s been waiting for.

With a shaky voice, Lexa whispers. “Open your eyes, Clarke.”

Clarke opens her eyes. The sight in front of her renders her speechless. In the sand, there is a big heart, outlined with shells. In the middle of the heart, there are flowers. Words are formed with the flowers. She looks at it. This is… this is…The flowers read…

‘Will you marry me?’

Tears escape from Clarke’s eyes. Next to the heart, Lexa is sitting down on one knee. Lexa holds her hands up, clasped together. When Clarke looks at her, she opens her hands, revealing a white pearl.

Lexa takes a deep breath. She had searched so long to find an oyster with a pearl. She remembered the stories from her father about the treasures at sea, in the form of pearls and she had wanted to find one for Clarke. Lexa inhales deeply.

“Clarke, will you marry me?” Lexa feels like her heart is going to explode.

Clarke falls down into Lexa’s arms.

Lexa catches her, she always will catch her.

Clarke peppers Lexa’s cheeks with kisses. “Yes.” She whispers.

Lexa places the white pearl in Clarke’s palm and closes her fingers around it.

The others run over to them and pull them into a group hug.

Clarke smiles. “You all knew about this, isn’t it?” She doesn’t need them to answer, the looks on their faces say enough.

Lexa allows everyone to go to their hut to get dressed for the wedding. Raven takes Clarke with her to her hut, while Anya follows Lexa to hers.

 

* * *

 

 

Clarke gasps when Raven shows her some dresses. “How…?” She thought the dresses were gone.

Raven smirks. “Aden.”

Of course, she should have known.

“Take your pick, Clarke.”

Clarke looks at the dresses. She finds a white one and decides to wear that one.

Raven helps Clarke to do her hair the way she would like and to help her get dressed. She was a little bit surprised when Lexa selected her to help Clarke get ready, but she understands Lexa wants Anya to help her because she’s her sister. Well, Raven is Lexa’s sister too now, thanks to the whole marriage with Anya.

Lexa did select her as her witness, so that’s nice. For Clarke Lexa selected Aden as her witness. Lexa selected Octavia to be the flower girl to spread flowers in front of their feet, while Anya has the honor of binding Clarke’s and Lexa’s marriage.

Anya chuckles as Lexa paces around in her hut. She helps Lexa by braiding her hair.

“So Lex, what are you going to wear?”

“A suit.”

Lexa ruffles through the suitcases and takes a suit out. It’s too big of course. She allows Anya to help her tie some rope around her hips to hold the pants up. It’s a bit sloppy, but she doesn’t care. She’s going to get married with Clarke. She will be Clarke’s wife and Clarke will be hers.

Aden rushes into his hut to pick out a white shirt with buttons and some pants. He’s glad he doesn’t have to wear a dress this time. The clothes are a bit big. It’s a good thing they don’t wear shoes. They always walk around on their bare feet.

Octavia makes a quick beeline to her hut. It’s going to be a long day. Today she doesn’t really have time to be in her hut with Lincoln.

“Arcola.” Lincoln smiles as Octavia walks in.

Octavia smiles back at him. She walks closer to him and leans into his touch, kissing him. It’s odd how she has been kissing him many times by now, yet his ankles are still tied. She still keeps the rope around his ankles and the tree. She likes him she does, but she can’t let him go. If she lets him go, the others would find him and they might hurt him. At first she was worried Lincoln would harm the drifters, but now it is the other way around, she’s worried they will harm him.

She feels Lincoln’s eyes on her as she changes into a red dress. She doesn’t really talk to him and he doesn’t really say anything to her either. All he says to her is her name, well, her fake name. Perhaps someday she will tell him that her name is not Arcola, but Octavia. Not today though, no. She kisses him softly and places her fingers against her lips, to let him know he has to be silent. Not that she still has to let him know that, Lincoln is always silent anyway.

Octavia takes a bowl with water and a bowl with fruit and places them close to Lincoln, so he’ll be able to eat and drink while she’s away. She hurries to the others so someone can braid her hair.

 

* * *

 

 

Lexa is standing on the beach with Clarke. Close to the water. Octavia is standing in front of them, waiting to throw flowers around, in front of their feet. Lexa nods at Octavia, giving her the signal to walk. She links her arm with Clarke’s and walks slowly, making their way to the campfire at the tree logs where the others are waiting.

Aden and Raven are sitting on a tree log. Anya is standing next to the campfire, waiting for Lexa and Clarke.

Clarke and Lexa take their time to walk. When they reach the campfire, Octavia sits down on the tree log next to Aden and Raven.

Anya clears her throat when Lexa gives her a short nod, signaling her to begin.

“Dear drifters, we are gathering here today to witness the wedding of our commander, Lexa and Clarke.”

Anya looks at Lexa. “Lexa, will you accept Clarke as your wife and protect her with your life?”

Lexa places one hand over her chest. “Yes, I will.” Her voice is strong and serious.

Lexa had discussed the wedding ceremony with the others, and had made some personal changes.

Anya shifts her eyes over to Clarke. “Clarke, will you accept Lexa as your wife and protect her?”

Clarke copies Lexa by placing a hand over her chest. “Yes, I will.”

Clarke wonders why she isn’t asked to protect Lexa with her life. She’s asked to protect her, but not with her life. She assumes Lexa is behind that. Lexa does make the rules and always worries for her, so that must be why.

“You may now hold each other’s hands and share your vows.” Anya nods at them. “Lexa will begin.”

Lexa is nervous for this part. She’s not one to gush her feelings in front of the others and she doesn’t always have that many words to say. She takes a deep breath to steady herself, holding Clarke’s hands in her own.

“Clarke, there will never be enough words to tell you how I feel. The thing is, love is a feeling. I will make you feel my love for you every day. It may not always be expressed with words, but I assure you my actions will make you feel it. You are beautiful, you always have been. I love it when you smile or when you laugh. Even when tears are flooding your eyes, you’re beautiful. We are here together on our island. We built a life and I want to continue building it. I love you.”

Clarke squeezes Lexa’s hands. She sees the tears in Lexa’s eyes, matching the tears in hers. She knows her voice is going to sound broken.

“Lexa, when you told me you hoped to be married someday, I thought that maybe, just maybe you were kidding. Of course our relationship has always been going strong. We went through so much together and I’m sure more adventures are waiting for us. You are kind, caring, sweet, compassionate, strong and so much more. Your love for me is selfless, it always has been. You try so hard to do things for others, that you forget it is okay to do things for yourself too. You deserve happiness too and I will do my best to give you that with every breath I have. You were once the young girl I fell in love with. Now you’re a beautiful young woman, and after all these years, I’m falling in love with you all over again. I love you.”

Anya is lost for a moment. The love between her sister and Clarke is so beautiful, it made her cry. She’s not the only one, they’re all crying. Today they can all let their tears flow freely. This is a happy moment.

Lexa gives Anya a short nod to go on.

“You may kiss now.”

Clarke pulls Lexa towards her and kisses her. She wants to kiss Lexa for hours. Her lips are like smooth velvet. With regret, she breaks their kiss.

Anya raises her voice. “Let the ritual begin.”

Octavia grabs her blade, stands up and hands it to Clarke.

Lexa opens her left hand and holds her palm up in front of Clarke. She trusts Clarke.

Clarke takes a few deep breaths. She makes a cut in the palm of Lexa’s hand, drawing some blood. Lexa stands still, she doesn’t move at all. When she’s done, she hands the blade to Lexa.

Lexa takes the blade from Clarke. She’s nervous about this part. It’s a part of their ritual, one she invented actually, but it is difficult for her to do this to Clarke.

Clarke opens her left hand and holds her palm up in front of Lexa.

Lexa thinks Clarke will close her eyes, but instead Clarke looks directly at her. Carefully, she makes a cut in the palm of Clarke’s hand, drawing blood. She hands the blade back to Octavia.

Anya takes a bowl and holds it out to Lexa and Clarke.

Lexa faces Clarke. “I hereby bound my blood to yours, connecting us as one, for all eternity.” Her voice doesn’t waver.

Clarke locks her eyes with Lexa. “I hereby bound my blood to yours, connecting us as one, for all eternity.” She repeats.

Lexa and Clarke grasp each other’s hand and squeeze it above the bowl. Together, they empty the bowl above the fire, as a symbol of their eternal love.

Anya, Aden, Raven and Octavia stand in front of them and bow their heads in respect.

Lexa and Clarke drop to their knees for the last part of the ritual.

Anya places her hands atop their heads, blessing their wedding.

“Drifters, today we have been honored by the marriage of our commander and Clarke. May they live a long and happy life together, bounded as one, for eternity.”

Anya holds her arms out, allowing Lexa and Clarke to grasp them as they stand up.

Lexa holds her hands up for the others to sit down. She takes Clarke’s hand and lifts it up with hers. This is the last change she made for their ceremony.

“From this day forward, you will all treat Clarke as my equal and obey her commands.”

 

* * *

 

 

Lexa takes two bowls with a red-colored fluid in it. She hands one to Clarke and drinks from the other.

Clarke gasps and stares at the bowl in her hands. “Is… Is that blood? Do we have to drink blood now?” She is shocked.

Lexa tries to not choke when she hears Clarke’s reaction. “It’s not blood, Clarke.” She smiles a little. “It’s from berries, mixed with water.”

“Oh.” Clarke sighs in relief and drinks from her bowl. “Not bad.”

It had been Raven’s idea to squish berries and to mix the juices with water, to create something new to drink.

Clarke puts her bowl down on and reaches for Lexa’s hand. “Dance with me.” She smiles, hopeful.

Lexa already knew Clarke would ask her to dance. She accepts her wife’s hand. Their bodies are pressed together as they dance around the campfire.

Raven and Octavia are trying to sing songs. It sounds like an awful mixture of old songs they vaguely remember, puzzled together in one horrible song, but it’s fun. They can all laugh about it.

It’s been so long since any of them have heard actual music. All they have is vague memories. Their island is a silent place, aside from the calm sound of the waves and the noises from the waterfall. They probably wouldn’t know what to do if they’d ever hear other sounds again. Their old lives were louder.

They dance around the campfire on their bare foot. At some point they even hold hands to dance around it. This island is their home. They are drifters. This is their island.

It’s been pitch black outside for a while, aside from their campfire, when they decide to call it a night.

Clarke smiles as her wife scoops her up to carry her inside their hut.

Lexa carefully slides Clarke’s dress down. She waits patiently while Clarke strips her from her suit. Gently, she puts Clarke down on a blanket onto the sand.

Clarke pulls Lexa close on top of her, claiming her lips.

Lexa wants to kiss every inch of Clarke’s body. She places a soft kiss on Clarke’s forehead. Next she kisses her nose and her cheeks, finally making her way to Clarke’s lips for a chaste kiss. She kisses Clarke’s chin, her neck and her collar bones. Her eyes flicker up to meet Clarke’s to gauge her reaction.

She kisses her way down Clarke’s chest, stopping briefly above Clarke’s hipbones. When Clarke smiles at her, she kisses Clarke’s hipbones and her thighs. Her fingers gently map Clarke’s body, exploring every curve and every fold.

Clarke is many things for Lexa.

Clarke is her best friend.

Clarke is her equal.

Clarke is now the commander too.

Clarke is her wife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay Clarke and Lexa are married :) 
> 
> The next chapter is going to be a rough ride.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, this chapter is not for the faint-hearted.   
> There will be people who really won't like this one. 
> 
> Octavia has a secret. Or two, if you count the fact that she's hiding Lincoln.

Gustus is in his cabin, sighing deeply when Jake walks in. Jake sits down next to him.

“Still no word from Lincoln?” Jake hopes for a positive response, but the look on Gustus’s face tells him otherwise.

Gustus shakes his head. “Not a single word.” He scratches his beard. “I have been trying to radio him every day at random hours, but there is no response. It is like he vanished completely.”

“That’s unfortunate, Gustus.” Jake sighs. “He has been helping us out so much. It looks like we will have to search for him too now.”

“It has been a few months. I think something happened. Lincoln would not leave us in the dark for so long.”

“We should look for him, Gustus. Do you have a picture?”

Gustus nods. “I have notes from the last time he radioed me. I think he was still heading east at that time. There have been no reports of storms, something else must have happened.”

“We will find him.” Jake smiles weakly. “We will find the girls too. All of them.”

Jake is tired. Gustus is tired too, along with his crew. All of them are tired.

Gustus places a map on the table in his cabin and grabs a red marker. He circles the last island they had searched some days ago. He does that for each island they search. He will set course to sail east.

 

* * *

 

 

Octavia feels sick. Something weird has been happening to her. She has been throwing up every morning. If that’s not bad enough, she noticed she had been getting fatter, despite her work outs. She has no idea how she can even get fatter. She has always been lean and in a good shape.

When she began to get fatter, she tried to work out more, hoping to get it off again. She didn’t want the others to think she’s lazy or something, so she had been wearing big baggy shirts to hide her stomach better. That’s where the fat had settled. She avoided going into the river or the sea when the others were near her.

She quickly turns her back to Lincoln and puts a baggy shirt on. Lincoln had seen her naked many times by now, but she felt too ashamed to let him see her like this. What she has with Lincoln had turned into more than just kissing. During the last few months, they have gotten a lot closer.

It was a bit strange, because she still doesn’t talk to him and he doesn’t talk to her. She thinks he gave up on trying. Maybe Lincoln thinks she can’t say anything other than her name. Well, her fake name. Even though Lincoln has been in her hut for a few months, he still thinks her name is Arcola. They didn’t talk to each other, but they did other things.

Octavia still keeps Lincoln in her hut, hiding him from the others. She has developed feelings for him and she fears for his life if she would release him and have the others find him. The drifters are private here on their island, they would not agree with having a stranger around. For her, Lincoln was not a stranger anymore.

She still keeps a rope around his ankles, and checks every day to see if it’s still firmly keeping him in her hut. She leans down where Lincoln is sitting against the tree in her hut. She holds his chin in one of her hands and kisses him. She’s a bit too late to pull away when she feels Lincoln’s hands settling gently on her sides.

Octavia had tried to avoid that for weeks now. She didn’t want Lincoln to see or feel the fat on her stomach. She can see his eyes widening with realization. Before Lincoln can say or do anything, she runs out of her hut. She’s upset. Lincoln isn’t supposed to know she has gotten fat. She’s upset because despite her extra workouts, she keeps getting fatter.

Luckily, today Lexa is going to let them all battle again. That’s a workout she can use really well. She can use it because she has gotten fat and she can use it to work out her frustrations from how upset she is. She runs to the tree logs to meet up with the others.

Octavia feels confused that she is getting fatter while she throws up every morning. Maybe she has a disease that makes her throw up and makes her fat. Maybe she will get fatter and fatter until she explodes. What if she does explode? Why is this only happening to her? She’s afraid, but she feels too ashamed to tell the others.

 

* * *

 

 

Lexa gathers them all onto the beach to battle against each other. She has been practicing a lot with Aden and Clarke, since she’s their mentor. Over the last weeks she had been practicing more with them, while she sent Anya, Raven and Octavia away more to do other tasks, to give Aden and Clarke an extra edge. Maybe that’s not really fair, but she’s the commander, she decides.

Aden didn’t really need the extra lessons, but Clarke did. Lexa is hopeful that Clarke will at the very least be able to beat Raven. Clarke has been the worst during battles, but Raven wasn’t that much better. She’s confident Clarke will beat Raven this time. She plans to let them battle against each other. As for Aden, she is going to let him battle against Anya. When it comes to Octavia, she’ll battle against Octavia herself.

Lexa clears her throat and holds her hands up so they’ll all listen to her. It had been decided that the team who wins can have a free day while the team that loses will do all the tasks, like spearing fish and collecting fruit.

“The first battle will be Clarke against Raven.”

Clarke and Raven grab a stick and get into their fighting stance. They wait for Lexa’s subtle nod that tells them they can begin.

Raven makes the first strike, trying to hit Clarke’s right arm. Clarke is fast enough to block it and she makes quick work of striking Raven back, hitting Raven’s left leg, right above her knee.

The others watch as Clarke and Raven battle. Lexa feels like the teams are made fairly. Anya’s a good mentor and so is she. Octavia is Anya’s best pupil, while Aden is her best pupil. Raven is Anya’s weakest pupil, while Clarke is her weakest pupil. That evens out the score when they battle against each other. The rule is that the first to go down loses.

Clarke is able to hit Raven a few times. Raven hits her a few times too. Clarke makes a fake move, pretending she’ll hit Raven’s arm. When Raven holds her stick up, ready to block a strike against her arm, Clarke smacks her stick against Raven’s legs, swooping her off of her feet, making Raven land onto the sand with a thump.

Lexa is proud. “One point for us.” She motions to Clarke and Raven to join the others.

“The second battle will be Aden against Anya.” Lexa’s voice rings through the air.

Anya is a little bit surprised when she makes her way to face Aden. She thought Lexa would let Aden battle against Octavia, in a way of best pupil against best pupil. She figures Lexa probably wants to battle against Octavia for her hand-to-hand moves. That would make sense. Aden is more the type to battle with his stick, while Octavia is more the type to use her body to fight.

Aden and Anya get ready for their battle. Anya is ready to let her brother meet the sand up close.

Lexa gives them a short nod to let them know they can begin.

Anya moves fast, to make sure Aden can’t block every strike she makes. If she can make him lose his stick, she’ll have an edge to win.

Aden calculates his moves. He strikes Anya slower than she strikes him, but his strikes are harder.

Anya hits Aden high. While he blocks it with his stick, she kicks one of his legs, messing up his balance. She makes a quick swing with her stick and causes Aden to lose his stick. It was a bad move of Lexa to put their brother up against her.

Aden holds his arms up, trying to block the hits Anya tries to make with her fists.

Anya elbows Aden hard. When he stumbles a bit, she kicks his legs, making him fall.

Lexa sighs a little that Aden has lost, but at the same time she wanted this to happen. “One-one. The last battle will decide which team wins.” This is what Lexa has been waiting for.

Lexa plans to defeat Octavia so her team will win. She wouldn’t mind doing tasks, but she likes to win.

Octavia grabs her stick and gets into her fighting stance. She feels a bit nervous to fight against Lexa. Usually she’s not nervous at all. She loves to battle and Lexa has always been a welcome challenge to battle against, but this time she doesn’t feel so well. That disease or whatever it is that’s happening to her is interfering with her ability to fight well.

Lexa strikes fast, lowly grunting as Octavia blocks her moves a little too easy and at the way Octavia strikes her back fast.

Octavia thinks she’s going to see stars after this. Lexa is striking her fast and she seems to be really into this battle. Of course, Lexa is competitive. She can tell Lexa is trying to make her lose her stick so they can use their bodies to fight, but for the first time, she doesn’t want that to happen. She doesn’t think her body can take any hits at this point, so she holds on to her stick.

Lexa feels frustrated. She is trying to make Octavia lose her stick. Once she can manage that, she’ll drop hers too. Maybe she should have suggested fighting without the sticks, since they always lose them anyway. She is frustrated because Octavia keeps holding on to that damn stick of hers.

Anya is looking at her pupil, Octavia while she’s battling against Lexa. There is something off about Octavia. She sees Octavia holding on to her stick as if it is some sort of lifeline. That is not what Octavia usually does. It’s like Octavia’s trying to avoid losing her stick at all. It puzzles her so much that she forgets to look at Lexa and only looks at Octavia.

Lexa grins when she finally manages to knock Octavia’s stick out of her hands. Finally, the real battle can begin. She drops her own stick. She kicks her leg against Octavia’s leg, but Octavia moves away just in time to avoid her kick. She’ll get her. She’s going to win this battle.

Octavia mutters under her breath when she loses her stick. She thought about picking it up again, but Lexa already dropped hers and she knew Lexa was about to hit her. She moved away just in time to avoid Lexa kicking her leg.

Anya is eyeing Octavia more cautiously. Something is not right, something is wrong, but what? There’s a soft breeze of the wind. Her eyes are set on Octavia and that’s when she sees it. The soft breeze brushes Octavia’s big baggy shirt and she sees how Octavia’s body has changed.

Lexa is going to take Octavia down. She will win this fight. For her and for her team. She hits Octavia’s legs. She’s pleased to see that Octavia’s balance is off for a moment. She prepares herself to kick Octavia full in her chest to make her fall onto her back. She kicks her foot, aiming for Octavia’s chest.

“STOP!!!!!” Anya screams loudly.

Anya’s scream is so loud they all shake for a moment. Anya’s scream makes their blood run cold.

Lexa freezes with her foot just an inch away from Octavia’s chest. What the hell? She was about to win. Usually she doesn’t take commands from the others, but Anya’s scream filled the air with panic. She puts her foot down and stares at Anya.

“Anya!” Lexa wants an explanation. “Why did you scream like that? I had her!”

Anya runs towards Lexa and Octavia. She grabs both their arms and drags them away from the others. She hisses in Lexa’s ear. “Tell them to wait here, do it, now!”

Lexa would not take any orders, but something is wrong and she wants to know what it is.

“You will all stay here and do not move until we are back!” Lexa shouts at the others.

Aden, Clarke and Raven look confused. They have no idea what the hell just happened.

Anya brings Lexa and Octavia to her hut.

Lexa crosses her arms, still waiting for an explanation.

Anya is pacing around for a moment. She stops and looks at Lexa and Octavia.

“I think Octavia is pregnant.” Anya whispers.

Octavia’s eyes widen. She’s what now? What does pregnant mean? Is that the name of the disease she has?

Lexa looks confused. What kind of thing is pregnant?

Anya rolls her eyes. Clearly they have no idea what she’s talking about. She steps closer to Octavia and points at Octavia’s shirt. “May I?” Her voice is calm. She feels like panicking, but then they’ll panic too.

Octavia nods. It’s too late now, they are going to know how sick she is.

Anya lifts Octavia’s shirt up a little, revealing Octavia’s stomach.

Lexa’s eyes widen. “What is wrong with her?”

Anya ushers them to sit down and to listen to her. She explains them what pregnancy means and how they can get pregnant. She hates that she has to teach them about this. She thought she would never have to do that. She learned about it at school with Raven, before the whole storm thing happened. Back then it was disturbing for her to learn about it at such a young age.

Anya cringes a little at her explicit explanation, but they’re not children anymore. She feels like she’s too gay to have to explain this. Right now she wishes Octavia would have been gay too. That sure would have made things easier.

Octavia feels her heart clench. She thinks about Lincoln. She’s not sick.

“I’m not sick?” Octavia is nervous.

Anya shakes her head. “You’re not sick.” She gently places her hand against Octavia’s stomach. “You carry a life inside you.”

Lexa’s eyes widen so much they might pop out of her skull. “That means a boy did this to her.” It all sinks in, all the information. Aden is a boy. Aden is the only boy on their island.

Anya nods. She doesn’t get the chance to say another word, Lexa rushes out of her hut. She grasps Octavia’s arm to go after Lexa. She can tell Lexa is angry and Aden is going to get it. When did this whole Octavia and Aden thing happen? She’s confused, but right now she has to stop Lexa before she kills Aden.

 

* * *

 

 

Clarke, Raven and Aden are talking a bit with each other.

They’re confused about Anya screaming like that and then dragging Lexa and Octavia away.

Raven shrugs. “I’ve never heard Anya screaming like that and trust me I’ve heard her scream a lot.”

Clarke groans. “Raven, that’s more than any of us need to know.”

“Ugh fine, but it was weird.”

Clarke has to agree. “Yeah it was. Anya literally dragged Lexa and Octavia away.”

“Lexa almost made her famous kick against Octavia’s chest, she was going to win.” Aden adds.

Clarke looks at Raven and Aden. “What do you think they’re talking about?”

Raven shakes her head. “Beats me.”

“I have no idea.” Aden whispers.

“It’s strange that they left us here like that.” Clarke cocks her eyebrow. “It’s all strange.”

Raven points at her hut. “Lexa is coming out. Oh ha… No, but like out of the hut.” She whispers. “Oh damn, she looks pissed. Whatever it is, it’s not good.”

Lexa seethes as she closes in on them. “Aden!!”

Raven murmurs. “Shit boy, now you’ve done it.”

Aden is confused. He has no idea what he could have possibly done and why Lexa is so angry. He wonders it is has to do with the battle he lost against Anya. If it is, he’ll fight better the next time.

“Y-yes, Lexa?” Aden jumps up, concerned about the raging look on Lexa’s face.

“You got Octavia pregnant!”

“W-what?”

Aden has no idea what Lexa means. Sometimes he got berries for Octavia, but he doesn’t know what kind of fruit ‘pregnant’ is. It doesn’t sound like fish. It must be fruit or something. Whatever it is Lexa claims he gave Octavia, he is not the one who gave it to her.

Lexa rages on. “She’s sixteen, Aden!! Octavia is sixteen!”

“I w-what?”

Raven gasps. “Holy shit!”

Lexa would tell Raven to watch her language, but she’s too occupied with raging at Aden.

Clarke nudges Raven to explain. Raven whispers the information in Clarke’s ears while Lexa is still raging at Aden. When Raven is done explaining, Clarke is shocked.

Anya finally reaches Lexa. “You can’t blame Aden for being able to get Octavia pregnant.” She scoffs. “Little surprised tho. I didn’t even know they’re a thing.”

Anya isn’t exactly happy about Octavia being pregnant, but it’s not Aden’s fault that he’s able to make Octavia pregnant. She can roll around with Raven all she likes, while Lexa can roll around with Clarke and none of them would get pregnant. She wishes Aden wouldn’t have done that to Octavia so soon. She feels like they’re too young. Octavia is still that girl she took care of.

“Aden is seventeen!! Seventeen, Anya!!” Lexa hisses.

While Lexa is distracted by an argument with Anya, Raven whispers the information in Aden’s ear.

Aden’s face pales. “Lexa, I didn’t… I… No, I wouldn’t… I wouldn’t touch Octavia like that.” He tries his best not to stutter over his words, but he’s beyond nervous. He has never seen Lexa so angry.

Lexa isn’t done raging. “You’re the only guy on our island, Aden!!”

Octavia feels her hands shaking. She can’t listen to this anymore. Aden is innocent. She can’t let him take the fall for something he has nothing to do with.

“Lexa stop.” Octavia pleads. “It wasn’t Aden.”

“But who…” Lexa blinks her eyes. “Someone was on our island!?” Now she’s raging even more.

Octavia swallows hard. She didn’t want it to come to this. She nods.

“When did this happen, Octavia? Why didn’t you tell us?” Lexa is worried. She failed to protect Octavia, one of her people. “I will find that bastard and I will kill him!!”

Octavia feels like her heart is being stabbed. “No, don’t do that!” She panics. “I like him… I love…” She hits her hand over her mouth when she realizes what she has just done. It’s too late.

Lexa’s nostrils flare up. “He’s still on our island!?” She’s going to find him and kill him.

“No, Lexa, please don’t.” Octavia cries out.

“Where is he?”

Octavia shakes her head. She doesn’t want to answer.

Lexa widens her eyes. “He’s in your hut isn’t he?” She doesn’t need an answer she already found it in the look on Octavia’s face.

Octavia grasps Lexa’s wrist. “Lexa, no.” She tries to plead, tries to make Lexa stop.

“I’m going to murder him.” Lexa’s voice is cold.

Octavia places herself in front of Lexa. “No, I won’t let you.” She’s not going to let Lexa murder the man she loves.

Lexa’s anger reaches new levels. “Get. Out. Of. My. Way. Octavia!” She has no time for this nonsense.

Octavia doesn’t move. “If you’re going to murder him then you’ll have to murder me first.” She has always followed Lexa’s lead, but not this time.

Lexa is getting more and more frustrated by the second. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t murder him.” She crosses her arms.

“I love him.”

Lexa scoffs. “Love?”

Tears escape from Octavia’s eyes. “You know what it is like to love, and yes I love him. If you want to get to him, you’ll have to fight me first.”

“I’m not going to fight you, Octavia.” Lexa would fight her, but not now that she’s pregnant.

“I’m not going to let you kill him.”

Lexa is done playing this ridiculous game. She can’t risk that stranger hurting her people.

“Clarke, Raven.” Lexa nods at them. “Hold Octavia.” She looks at them. “Aden and Anya, you two will come with me.”

Clarke and Raven grasps Octavia’s arms, while Aden and Anya follow Lexa towards Octavia’s hut. Octavia’s hut is on the other side of their small island. The river with the waterfall is on the other end, while the other huts are somewhat in the middle.

Octavia cries out in despair. She can’t let Lexa hurt him. No, no, no. She looks at Raven and Clarke. “Please, let me go. Please, you both know what it means to love someone, please don’t let me lose the man I love.” She pleads, desperately.

Clarke feels for Octavia, for her pain. Octavia has no family or anyone here. She’s happily married with Lexa while Raven is happily married with Anya. Aden is Lexa’s and Anya’s brother. Meanwhile, Octavia didn’t really have anyone.

Raven sighs deeply. They only want to protect Octavia.

Octavia can’t take it any longer. She wiggles herself out of Clarke’s and Raven’s grip and elbows them both. She kicks her knee against their chest and quickly runs off as fast as she can the second they fall down, to go stop Lexa.

She reaches Lexa, Anya and Aden right before they’re about to enter her hut to kill the man she loves so much.

“Stop!” Octavia screams at them.

 

* * *

 

 

Lincoln is sitting in Arcola’s hut, the rope still around his ankles. He hoped she would have cut him loose by now, but she hasn’t yet. He understands she’ll need time to trust him. He smiles knowing they have kissed several times and even gone much further than that. He had really been falling for her.

He had reached into his pocket at some point to show Arcola the picture he had been meaning to show her. It turns out he had the wrong picture in his pocket. Instead of a picture of Lexa and Anya, it was a picture of him and his mother.

Guilt plagues him. He should be out there, looking for the girls like he promised his uncle he would do. His uncle must be worried. It has been a few months. All this time he has been stuck in Arcola’s hut. She’s a sweet girl. She always brings him food and water. He’s not really her prisoner, but he’s not exactly free either. He likes to steal glances when she’s putting her clothes on.

Lately she’s been acting weird. She’s been turning her back towards him when she’s getting dressed. Today again, she turns her back on him. He’s happy when she leans down and kisses him. He places his hands on her sides and that’s when he feels it. Arcola is pregnant. His eyes widen. He wants to say something, but she runs out before he gets the chance.

Maybe he screwed it up. He should have said something rather than widening his eyes. He is not mad or disappointed. He’s surprised. How does Arcola feel about being pregnant? Is she worried about his reaction? He did not mean to get her pregnant, but he does love her. He wants to tell her that. When she comes back, he’ll tell her he loves her.

There is a loud scream outside. A voice he does not recognize is screaming stop, so loud the entire island probably hears it. He shivers a bit at the sound. The voice sounds like it’s coming from a female. It sounds like the woman panicked. He hopes Arcola is okay.

A moment later he hears another female voice screaming ‘Aden’. The voice sounds angry, very angry. Perhaps Arcola has been wise to hide him in her hut. It doesn’t sound like it is safe out there. He hears more voices, but he can’t hear them well enough to hear what they’re saying. He wonders if the people on this island are dangerous. They probably are.

He’s quite sure Arcola fights sometimes. There have been times where she had a few bruises on her body, but she never talked. All he knows is that her name is Arcola. He hears some commotion outside. Voices are approaching the hut. He hears Arcola scream ‘stop’. She sounds upset. This is the only word he ever heard her speak, aside from her name. It is not the word he would want to hear, not like this. It sounds like he’s going to be in trouble.

Arcola bursts in, followed by a boy and two women. Lincoln looks up at them. Wait… those women… No, it can’t be…

Anya freezes. “Lincoln?”

Lincoln stands up. “Anya?” He looks at her, then shifts his gaze to the other young woman. “Lexa?”

Lexa drops the blade she had been holding, the blade she was going to use to kill the stranger. “Li-lincoln?”

Octavia is confused. She looks at Anya and Lexa. “Y-you know him?”

Lexa nods. “Lincoln is family.”

Clarke and Raven rush into the hut too.

Raven is trying to catch her breath.  “Octavia elbowed us and hit us with her knee.” She’s not aware yet of what’s happening in Octavia’s hut. She looks at Octavia. “That hurt, O.”

Octavia dips her head. “I’m sorry, I had to.”

Lincoln looks at… Arcola? He’s confused. “Arcola…?”

Octavia turns to face him. “Actually… M-my name is Octavia. Arcola is my pet.”

Lincoln’s jaw drops. “I have been looking for you girls!”

Lexa looks at Octavia. “You had Lincoln in your hut all this time and you didn’t tell us? He was on that ship with us, before the storm happened.”

Octavia feels bad. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember.”

Octavia’s memory of the people who were on board of that ship is vague. She knows the other girls were on board, obviously since they’re on the island with her and she knows her brother Bellamy was on board. Then of course Clarke’s parents were on board and that man who saved her from drowning. She doesn’t remember anyone else from the people who were there.

Lexa notices the rope around Lincoln’s ankles and cuts him loose. “Follow us, we will sit at the campfire and talk.” She walks out of Octavia’s hut with the others right behind her.

 

* * *

 

 

Lexa sits on the tree logs with the others. There is a lot to explain. She holds her hands up.

Lincoln is confused when they all go silent the second Lexa holds her hands up.

Lexa clears her throat. “Lincoln, what you’re about to hear will be a lot.” She stands up. “We are drifters, that’s what we call ourselves. I am their leader, they call me the commander.” Lexa points at Clarke. “This is Clarke, my wife.”

Lincoln’s eyes widen when Lexa talks about the wedding ritual with the blood oath.

Lexa points at Raven and Anya. “Raven and Anya are married too.”

Lincoln looks at Octavia and at the boy he assumes must be Aden. He hopes Lexa’s next words won’t be that they’re married too. Wait until his uncle and Jake hear about this. Oh shit, Octavia’s parents and Octavia’s brother… That will be something.

Lexa goes on, she’s not done yet. “This is Aden.” She points her finger at Aden. “He was in a rubber boat during a storm. Anya got him onto our island. He’s our brother, we made him a promise.” She sits down and motions for Lincoln to talk.

Lincoln stands up, a bit dazed by all the information he just received. He’s concerned how they will respond to his information. Luckily, he can bring them good news.

“I arrived onto this island a few months ago. Octavia captured me. She told me her name was Arcola, which apparently is not her name. I fell in love with her and things happened.” Lincoln already wonders how he will tell Octavia’s parents that he found her and knocked her up. “Gustus and Jake have been searching for you all.” He tells them about how each year they light candles for them. “Bellamy is alive, Abby is alive too.”

All the information hits the girls at once. After eight years, Lincoln is on their island, telling them their family is still alive.

Clarke cries. Her parents are still alive, they made it. They’re alive. Her dad is out there looking for her, even after all those years.

Lexa and Anya are a bit emotional and they’re happy to hear their father is still alive. Lexa is happy for Clarke, happy Clarke’s parents are still alive.

Octavia cries, knowing her brother is still alive. At least her parents still had him during the years she’s been on the island.

Raven is glad to hear they survived.

Aden is confused because he doesn’t know what all of this means. He wishes his parents wouldn’t have drowned.

Lincoln spares them a few details. He doesn’t tell Clarke her parents are divorced, and that her mother believes she’s long dead and that she married another man. He doesn’t tell Octavia her parents gave up and accepted that she would be dead. He already dropped a lot on them. They don’t need to hear more now. From what he’s heard, their parents are about to get a lot of information too.

Lincoln wonders what will happen to the girls and the boy when they’re gone from this island which they’re calling their island. During the few months he has been here, he feels like going back would take him some effort to adapt, so he can’t even imagine how much the girls and the boy would have to adapt.

“I can go back to my ship to inform Gustus and Jake.” Lincoln sighs deeply. “I can ask them to come here, to this island.”

Everyone looks at Lexa.

Lexa looks at the others. Their faces all say something else. There is hope, fear, worry, confusion, uncertainty, amongst other things.

Lexa nods at Lincoln. “Yes.”

 

* * *

 

 

Lincoln reaches his ship. After finding the girls he should be happy. A part of him is happy, happy that they are alive. He’s worried. What will happen to them?

He pushes some buttons to radio his uncle Gustus.

_“Lincoln, we haven’t heard from you for a few months now.”_

“Yes, uncle. I know. I apologize.”

_“It is good to hear from you. Jake and I are heading east, we were hoping you would be somewhere in that area.”_

“I will send you the coordinates.”

Lincoln gives his uncle the coordinates, not the coordinates where his ship is, but the coordinates of the island.

_“Lincoln, according to my map, nothing is there.”_

“I know what your map says. My map suggests the same.”

_“Are you saying there is a deserted island there?”_

“Yes, but that is not all I’m saying, uncle.”

_“What is it, Lincoln?”_

“I found the girls.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ship Lincoln and Octavia. Okay, I know some are really not going to like the way I wrote them in the story, but it is what it is. This story still centers mostly around Lexa and Clarke. Hence I didn't really go into details with Lincoln's and Octavia's romance. 
> 
> Poor Aden, with Lexa's wrath. Anway, Jake and Gustus know now that the girls are out there.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gustus and Jake arrive onto the island.

Gustus and Jake look like they’ve seen a ghost when they stop the radio contact with Lincoln.

Jake can’t hold his tears back. “Did you hear that, Gustus? Lincoln found the girls. They’re alive.” He wipes his cheeks with his sleeve.

Gustus tries not to cry, but a few tears slip away. “Yes, Lincoln found them.”

“We have been right all those years to believe that they’re still out there.”

“Your hope has been strong, Jake.”

“You believed as well, for all those years.”

Gustus calls one of his crew members. “Take one of the boats to go back. Send word to the Blakes and to Abby to let them know the girls have been found.”

The crew member nods and prepares to leave right away.

Jake looks at the coordinates Gustus has written down. “How long do you think it will take us to get there?”

“My guess is a week.”

“And according to your map nothing is there?”

Gustus shakes his head. “It is difficult to find places that do not want to be found.”

“I hope they are okay, but I’m happy to know they’re alive.”

 

* * *

 

 

Lincoln sails with his ship to the island, where he anchors it.

He grabs his backpack, filled with food. He wants to offer the girls and the boy a proper meal. They are already waiting for him, sitting on their tree logs at the campfire.

Lincoln sits down next to Octavia. He wraps his arms around her. “I love you, Octavia of the drifters.” He smiles warmly at her.

Octavia smiles back at him. “I love you too, Lincoln of the civilization people.”

Lincoln opens his backpack. “I have pots and pans you can use and food you can eat.” He takes a few things out his backpack.

Lexa watches him cautiously.

“I can make some food for all of you, if you let me.” Lincoln offers.

Lexa nods.

Anya looks up at Lincoln. “You got Octavia pregnant.” She recalls that was still something they need to talk about.

“Yes. I didn’t plan on it, but I love her and I will be there for her and the baby.”

“Octavia is sixteen.”

Octavia pitches in. “I will be seventeen by the time I have the baby.”

Anya faces Octavia. “Do you know how old Lincoln is?” Her voice is soft.

Octavia shakes her head. She doesn’t know. He doesn’t really look much older though.

Anya takes a breath. “He’s my age, he’s twenty-two.”

“Um okay that’s not so bad?” Octavia doesn’t mind it.

Raven scoffs. “Lincoln, you’re lucky Octavia isn’t a minor.”

Lincoln does feel lucky about that. He guesses Octavia must be about two or three months pregnant. He finishes the food. He grabs plates and cutlery out of his backpack.

Anya and Raven don’t seem to struggle too much to get the picture and pick up the cutlery.

Lexa narrows her eyes at the food. “What is this?” She wants to know exactly what Lincoln is trying to make them eat.

“Potatoes with chicken and carrots.” Lincoln replies.

They eat in silence.

“Lincoln, you can sleep in Aden’s hut.” Lexa announces calmly. “We will make sure you have a hammock to sleep in.”

Octavia shakes her head. “Lincoln will be sleeping with me.”

“Octavia, do not disobey me.”

“Lexa, I’m already pregnant with his child.”

Clarke gently nudges her wife. “Let them sleep together.” She tries to reason. “They are in love.”

Lexa sighs. “Lincoln, as I was saying, you will be sleeping in Octavia’s hut.”

Octavia smiles at Clarke.

Lincoln still needs to get used to Lexa being in charge, but he understands that it is the life they have developed. He is however, curious to know how exactly Lexa turned out to be in charge.

“Lexa, not to disrespect you…” Lincoln tries to pick his words carefully. “… How did you become their commander? According to Gustus, he had left Anya in charge.”

“Anya was indeed left in charge. She has been our guardian. When I was twelve, two men invaded our island. One of them slashed Anya’s arm after he had tried to take Anya from us. That same man pushed our brother. I threw my spear right into his chest. That’s how I became the commander.”

Lincoln nearly chokes. “Did you by any chance let the other man go?”

“Yes, I did, why?”

“I was on an island once and there was a man who screamed after I showed him a picture of you and Anya.” Lincoln chuckles, finally knowing what that was about.

Lexa laughs. “It is nice to know he understood my point.” She looks around. “Let us rest and we will gather here when the sun rises.”

Clarke stands up and takes Lexa’s hand to go to their hut.

Raven and Anya go to their hut.

Octavia holds her hand out to Lincoln, who looks surprised at her. She seems to understand his confusion. “Lexa does that, you know the whole commanding thing.” She smiles lightly.

Aden stands up to go to his hut. Lincoln stops him by grasping his wrist. Aden turns around, confused.

“You are Lexa’s and Anya’s brother.” Lincoln holds his hand out to Aden. “That makes us family, welcome to the family, Aden.”

Aden smiles and shakes Lincoln’s hand. “Thank you.”

Lincoln follows Octavia to her hut.

 

* * *

 

 

“Lexa, my parents are alive.” Clarke struggles to believe that this not a dream.

“They are. I am happy for you, Clarke.”

“Your father is still alive too, Lexa.”

“Yes, that’s good news.”

Clarke smiles at her wife. “I will see my dad again.” Tears roll over her cheeks.

Lexa carefully swipes her thumbs across her wife’s cheek. She has mixed feelings about what might happen. This island is their home.

Clarke faces her wife. “We are all pretty much related now.”

“What do you mean, Clarke?”

“Think about it, Anya is your sister and Aden is your brother. I married you, so they’re my sister and brother too now, in a way. Raven is married with Anya, which makes her our sister, in a way. Lincoln is your family and he’s with Octavia. They’re not married, but who knows, maybe they will be at some point. They’re expecting a child together. So in a way, Octavia is related to us now too. So you see, we are all related.” Clarke explains.

Lexa kisses her wife. “It sounds like you are right, Clarke.”

“Mhm, I’m always right.”

“You wish.”

Clarke hums. “I already got my wish when I married you.”

“And you tell me I’m a sap?”

“You are a sap, Lexa.”

Lexa shushes her wife by kissing her.

“Our fathers have been looking for us, together. Maybe that means they are friends.”

Lexa thinks about it for a moment. “I hope they are, it would be nice.”

Clarke leans in to kiss Lexa’s neck. She latches her lips onto Lexa’s. When she pulls back for a moment, she sees Lexa’s pupils are slightly dilated.

Lexa kisses Clarke back, hearing her irregular breaths, feeling her slightly parted lips. She explores Clarke’s lips with her tongue.

Clarke moans softly as Lexa’s lips crash with hers. When she regretfully pulls back to drink in Lexa, she can tell Lexa’s eyes are wide, full of want. It makes her stomach churn in the most pleasant way. She grasps the hem of Lexa’s shirt, slowly riding it up. Her heart skips a couple beats when she drops Lexa’s shirt onto the sand.

Lexa melts as Clarke whispers in her ear “I want to kiss you all night” in a seductive tone with her sultry voice. Lost for words, she nods.

Clarke kisses Lexa, long and deep, want and desire filling the air around them.

Lexa loves kissing her wife. She kisses her as often as she can, even when they’re around the others. It doesn’t matter because Anya and Raven often kiss each other in their presence too.

Clarke slides her tongue past Lexa’s lips, intertwining it with hers. Hushed breaths escape between their lips.

Lexa kisses Clarke as if their lips are glued together. She lets her tongue dance around Clarke’s.

Clarke feels the heat rising as she listens to Lexa’s ragged breaths. She traces her fingers all over Lexa’s back, making small circles.

Lexa tangles her fingers in Clarke’s hair, gently brushing her nails against Clarke’s scalp. She takes her time to compliment every curve of Clarke’s body with a kiss.

Clarke’s lips are barely an inch away from Lexa’s. “I love you.” She whispers it softly, brushing her breath against Lexa’s lips.

Lexa feels her knees weaken at the feeling of Clarke’s breath brushing her lips. “I love you too.” She will always love Clarke.

Clarke looks mischievously at Lexa. “Mhm, my wife.” She dips her voice lower than a whisper, on purpose.

Lexa’s breath hitches in her throat. She recovers herself quickly and wraps her arms tightly around Clarke. “My wife.” She smiles and presses a soft kiss against Clarke’s temples. “Goodnight.”

Clarke blinks her eyes a few times. “Goodnight.” She nuzzles herself comfortably in her wife’s touch.

 

* * *

 

 

Raven moans when Anya’s teeth dig into her neck. She loves it when Anya gets a little bit rough like that. She married the right woman, that’s for sure. Anya is good with her mouth, her teeth, her tongue, and her fingers, damn she’s just good. She’ll never get enough of her.

Anya hums, pleased by Raven’s moans. She loves how her wife reacts to every touch she makes. It sends a sensation through her body. She feels Raven’s naked body, carefully pressed against her own.

Lately they don’t even bother anymore to wear anything when they’re sleeping in their hammock. Or well, not exactly sleeping. They have the privacy of their own hut and they know nobody would ever dare to enter without their permission. It’s a rule, a very good rule at that.

Anya loses herself into Raven’s deep brown, captivating eyes. She slides her hands delicately down Raven’s thigh, smiling as Raven leans into her touch. She can see Raven’s eyes lighting up, enticing her.

Raven kisses Anya, the softness of Anya’s lips exhilarates her to explore further with her teeth and her tongue. She nips at Anya’s bottom lip, eliciting a strangled moan.

Anya feels Raven’s supple lips, firmly pressed against her own. She moans as Raven’s teeth sink into her bottom lip, tempting and memorable. She grasps Raven’s wrists and pushes her back, ready to bite Raven’s neck again. She sucks onto Raven’s pulse point, long and hard, making sure to leave her mark there.

Raven moans as Anya leaves a love-bite in her neck, rapturous and passionate. She lets Anya have her way, for now, mentally preparing herself to return the favor.

 

* * *

 

 

The next day Lexa awaits the others at the campfire. The sun is barely up, but Lexa has always been early to rise. She waits patiently for the others. She could shout and tell them to get up, but so much has happened and so much more is awaiting them. It’s only a matter of time before her father and Jake arrive.

The others trickle out of their huts and sit down on the tree logs.

Lexa motions for Lincoln to stand up. She grabs her blade. “I claim you as one of us. You can be a drifter too. We have a sacred blood oath. All of us took the blood oath, to protect our people. If you accept, I will make a cut in the palm of your hand. Then you will have to squeeze your hand above a bowl and it will be burned.” She explains it with a calm and collected voice.

Lincoln raises his eyebrow. He’s not used to this. “I accept.” He holds his right hand up so Lexa can make the cut.

Lexa carefully makes the cut, to draw some blood. “Drifters, approach to renew our blood oath.” She decided they all have to renew their sacred blood oath as drifters, now that she is claiming Lincoln as a drifter too.

The others stand up and hold one of their hands out to Lexa. Lexa cuts her own hand and passes the blade around so they can do the same. They squeeze their hand above a bowl. Lexa burns their blood.

“Now, we shall shout our mantra. Lincoln, listen closely and remember for the next time.”

They all stand around the fire, ready to chant their mantra. It is new for Lincoln, but he can somewhat comprehend that it seems very important for them.

“We do what we must to survive!”

“Strangers are considered a threat!”

“We will protect our family!”

Lincoln is a bit shocked when they’re done chanting. Strangers a threat? Perhaps some strangers are not friendly, but that doesn’t mean all strangers are a threat. He can understand the survival part and the part about protecting their family. It hits him that he’s related to all of them, in one way or another.

Lexa waits for them to sit down again.

“Lexa or commander, I’m not sure which one to say…” Lincoln speaks slow and calm. “May I make a suggestion?”

Octavia chuckles and nudges Lincoln with her elbow. “You know, Lexa may be the commander and all that, but you don’t actually have to ask her permission to speak or to make a suggestion.”

Lexa smiles a little. “What is your suggestion, Lincoln?” She finds it sweet how he is trying to respect their habits.

“I suggest when Gustus and Jake arrive, I’ll have a word with them first.” Lincoln pauses for a second when the others look at him like it is a weird suggestion. “The reason I’m suggesting this is… the life you have here is a bit… different… so I want to suggest I approach them first when they arrive to give them some information.”

Lincoln is thinking about how shocked Gustus and Jake might react. During his months on the island, he got used to certain things. For Gustus and Jake it will be a whole new world. Sure his uncle has survival skills and has been through storms, but there will be a lot to take in when they get here. He’s sure they won’t be used to blood oaths and the sacred marriages. Although, Gustus and Jake are the least of his concern. Abby and the Blake family worry him more.

Lexa licks her lips while she thinks about Lincoln’s suggestion. Why can’t she be the one to inform her father and Clarke’s father? Why did Lincoln have a worried look on his face when he made that suggestion? If she didn’t know Lincoln, she would think it’s a trap, but Lincoln is family and he’s one of them now, he’s a drifter.

“Fine. When they arrive, the others will gather in my hut. Try not to take too long. Call for us when we may come out.”

Raven scoffs. “How many times do we have to come out?”

Lexa turns to Anya. “You have a strange wife.”

“Uh yeah, tell me about it.”

Lexa stands up. “Lincoln, follow me. I’d like to have a word with you.”

Octavia grasps Lincoln’s wrist before he can walk away with Lexa.

“Octavia, I am not going to hurt Lincoln, he is family and he is one of us.”

Octavia nods and lets Lincoln go. She keeps her eyes on him as Lexa guides him further away.

Lexa clears her throat. “Lincoln, do you plan to propose to Octavia?”

“Uh…” Lincoln puts one of his hands behind his head. “I haven’t thought about it yet.”

“You love her?”

“Yes, of course.”

“You made her pregnant, Lincoln.”

“Yes… eh, is there some rule I don’t know yet that indicates I will have to marry her?”

“No, Lincoln, there is no such rule. Our marriages are sacred, a token of eternal love.”

“I love her and I think someday I’d really like to propose to her. This sacred ritual sounds very important. I need some time, that’s all.”

“I will apply one new rule for you.” Lexa has been thinking about it, she doesn’t want to make things too easy for Lincoln.

“What is your rule for me, Lexa?” Lincoln looks at Lexa, unsure what the rule will be.

“You may not be married and therefore are not bound by our sacred blood oath for two people who are together.” Lexa holds a finger up. “However, given the special circumstances in the form of a child, I will bind your life to hers. You will be seen as her equal. Anything that happens to Octavia will happen to you. You will be held responsible for every action she makes, as she will be held responsible for yours.” Her voice is cold and she has a stoic look on her face. “When I tell Octavia to run ten laps, you will run ten laps. Fear not, I will not make her do that in her current state. Above all, I will hold you and Octavia responsible for the child.”

“It’s not an offer is it?” Lincoln assumes Lexa is telling him, not offering.

“That is correct. You will do as I command.”

Lincoln bows his head in respect. “Yes… commander.” He believes in situations like this, he is supposed to address her as the commander.

He will definitely need to talk to his uncle and to Jake when they arrive. His uncle is used to have crew members he can give orders, but here on this island with Lexa as a commander, that’s something else entirely.

 

* * *

 

 

Jake is on the deck, looking over the sea, scanning for any signs of the island.

Gustus taps his shoulder. “According to my calculations, we will arrive there at nightfall.”

“Can you believe it, Gustus?” Jake shrugs his shoulders. “After more than eight years, we heard from Lincoln that they are alive, that he found them. Now, it has been six days since Lincoln told us and we’re almost there. It feels surreal.”

Gustus nods. “It will be quite the shock. I believe the crew member I have sent away to inform Abby and the Blakes will have done so by now. My guess is Indra has reached them by now.”

“I appreciate that you’ve sent Indra to inform them. Hopefully they won’t freak out.” Jake has a sad tone in his voice. “They had already accepted the girls would be dead. I’m afraid freaking out might be an understatement.”

“I have asked Indra to keep it on the down low. For the girls’ sake. After all those years, I do not wish the media to swarm around them.”

“That is a good call, Gustus.”

“I suggest you go to your cabin and pack. When we arrive there, we will spend the night. There are tents in one of the cabins. We will take a few with us to set them up on the island, if needed. Tomorrow when the sun rises, we will set our course to sail home with the girls.”

“I wouldn’t have been able to get this far without you, Gustus. You’re a good man and a good friend.” Jake reaches his hand out to Gustus. “You have been good company all those years.”

Gustus shakes Jake’s hand. “Likewise. You did have me worried when you were in the hospital.”

“Don’t tell Clarke I’m an anemic when we arrive on the island. She may not understand what it means and may wrongly assume I would be dying. I don’t want her to panic.”

“My lips are sealed, Jake.”

 

* * *

 

 

The drifters are sitting around their campfire. The night has fallen.

Raven jumps up. “Look there!” She points her finger in the direction of the sea. “A ship!”

The others stand up from their tree logs to look.

Lexa holds her hands up. “Follow me to my hut, except Lincoln who will stay here to greet them first.” She grasps Clarke’s hand and goes into their hut.

Anya, Raven, Aden and Octavia follow Lexa and Clarke in their hut.

Raven looks around. “Now that we’re all here, this hut appears small.”

Lexa rolls her eyes. “It is built for two, not for six.”

Lincoln walks up to the water, just in time to see his uncle, Jake and the crew members getting off the ship.

“Uncle, good to see you.” Lincoln shakes Gustus’ hand. He aims his attention towards Jake. “Good to see you, Jake.”

“It is good to see you, Lincoln.”

“Uncle, I must ask you to tell your crew members to stay on the ship for a little while longer. I believe it would be too overwhelming for the girls.”

Gustus nods and tells his crew members to stay on his ship.

Jake looks around. “Speaking of the girls, where are they?” His eyes scan the island.

He sees how small the island is. There is a campfire and there are a few huts. Is this where the girls have been living all those years?

“I offered I would speak to you both first. There are some things that are different, to say the least.” Lincoln whispers, as if the others will be able to hear it. “I want to inform you both about a few things so you don’t freak out when I bring you to the girls. If you freak out, they might panic.”

Jake and Gustus nod. They wait patiently for Lincoln to inform them. Their eyes widen when Lincoln tells them about Lexa being a commander, how she became a commander, how there is also a boy, Aden, who Lexa and Anya took in as their brother, he tells them how Octavia had captured him and told him a fake name, how he got her pregnant and he tells them about the blood oath and the sacred marriages.

Jake’s jaw drops. Okay, Lincoln was right that it was a good idea he’d talk to them first. This is a lot to take in. His daughter is married? She married Gustus’ youngest daughter Lexa who they call the commander? She married a girl? If he doesn’t freak out, Abby sure will. Octavia is pregnant? Wait until the Blakes hear this. He sits down on the sand to take it all in.

Gustus’ eyes widen. He can see why Lincoln suggested approaching them first. He’s used to a thing or two with his survival skills, but this? No, not this. Both his daughters are married, bounded by some sacred blood oath, or at least it is sacred for them. Anya married Raven. Lexa married Jake’s daughter, Clarke. He knew Anya is into girls. It turns out Lexa is too. Lexa is the commander, she leads them. She has been leading them since she was twelve. And there is a boy that is now… his son? Lincoln made Octavia pregnant? He sits down on the sand next to Jake.

Lincoln sighs. “I know this a lot of information to take in. This is why I really wanted to talk to you both before approaching the girls.” He sits down on the sand next to them. “When you’re both ready, let me know.” He wants to lighten the mood. “Don’t take too long though, or they’ll think we’re planning an attack on them and then they’ll attack us.” He chuckles.

Jake’s and Gustus’ eyes widen even more. Okay, that’s not funny. Lincoln regrets he said that.

They sit there for a while before Jake and Gustus both nod to let Lincoln know they’re ready.

Lincoln clears his throat. “Drifters!!!”

Jake and Gustus look bewildered. Is Lincoln saying that they’re drifters? They came with a ship.

Lincoln notices the look on their faces. “Oh, yeah, they call themselves drifters. You know, people from America call themselves Americans for example, they call themselves drifters.” He should have explained that part too.

Lexa and the others get out of Lexa’s and Clarke’s hut. They slowly approach Lincoln, Gustus and Jake. They each have either a spear or a blade in their hands.

Lincoln, Gustus and Jake approach them slowly. A little bit concerned about the weapons they’re holding, but they understand they must be doing it for their safety.

Clarke runs towards her father and throws herself in his arms. “Dad!” Tears roll over her cheeks. She’s so happy to see her father again.

Jake wraps his arms around her. “I’m so happy to see you, Clarke.”

“I’m happy to see you too, dad!” She pulls away from the embrace and extends her hand to Lexa. “Dad, this is my wife, Lexa.” Her smile reaches up to her ears.

Jake can’t help but notice how happy Clarke looks. He reaches his hand out towards Lexa. “Hello Lexa, it is nice to meet my daughters’ wife.”

Lexa has a tight smile and shakes his hand. “It is nice to meet you. Clarke has told me a lot about you.”

Jake chuckles lightly. “Only good things I hope?”

Lexa seems a bit lost at his words. “Do you mean there are bad things too?” She looks around to look at her wife.

Jake recovers his words fast. “Oh, no, that’s not what I meant. I was joking.”

“Oh.”

Gustus looks at his daughters. Anya awkwardly shakes his hand. “Good to see you, father.”

Lexa awkwardly opens her arms to hug her father. “Good to see you.”

Gustus smiles and pulls both his daughters into a hug. “Good to see you both.” He lets them go and looks at Raven. “Ah Raven, good to see you. I heard you married Anya.”

Raven smirks. “I sure did. Gotta love those Woods genes.”

Gustus nods. “It appears the Woods family has been quite the appeal on this island.” He shifts his eyes between his daughters and Lincoln.

Lexa points at Aden. “This is Aden, our brother.” She points between Anya and herself.

Aden fidgets with his shirt.

Gustus walks up to Aden and hugs him. “It is good to see you, son.”

Aden accepts the hug and smiles. Anya and Lexa were right with their promise. He has a place in the Woods family.

Gustus shakes Clarke’s hand. “Good to see you, Clarke. I’m happy you were the one to marry my Lexa.”

They greet each other a bit more and go to the campfire to sit down on the tree logs.

Lexa stands up and holds her hands up. “We will offer one of our huts to our… guests.” She looks around. “Octavia, you will stay in Raven’s and Anya’s hut tonight. Lincoln, you will stay in Aden’s hut. Gustus and Jake can stay in Octavia’s hut.”

Gustus shakes his head. “That won’t be necessary, we have tents.”

Lexa crosses her arms. “Dismiss my words.”

Jake takes a moment to look around. He looks at the girls and the boy. One of the things he notices is that they’re not wearing shoes. Their clothes are slightly ripped and they look like they’re ready to battle at any given time. He looks at the spears and blades they hold close.

Lexa catches Jake staring at all of them. “You are staring at us.”

Jake jumps up at the sudden sound of Lexa’s voice. Maybe he offended her.

Lexa goes to her hut and comes back with sticks. “Would you like to see how we battle?”

Octavia cheers. “Yes, let’s show them!” She loves to battle.

Lexa shakes her head. “Not you, Octavia.”

“But, Lexa.”

“I said no.” Lexa gives Octavia a stern look. “It is not to punish you. You’re pregnant, you will not battle.”

Octavia sighs. “If I don’t battle, then there are only five of you.”

“You are wrong, there are six without you. Lincoln is a drifter too. He will battle in your place.”

Lincoln looks up. “I will what now?” He hasn’t battled before.

Lexa gives him a stick. She holds her hands up.

“Clarke will battle against Raven. Aden will battle against Lincoln. Anya will battle against me.”

Clarke and Raven stand up to go first. The others watch as they battle. Lexa sits next to Gustus and Jake.

Lexa whispers a few things to her father and to Jake. “Anya and I are both mentors. She trains Raven and Octavia, while I train Clarke and Aden.”

Jake finds it difficult to see his daughter fight. She looks so fierce. She’s no longer his ten year old little sunshine with a smile that could light entire cities. Now she’s a beautiful young woman and she’s strong.

Clarke wins the battle. She snakes her arms around Lexa’s waist and kisses her.

Aden stands up to battle against Lincoln.

Lincoln raises his eyebrows. “Do I really have to fight a boy?”

Aden feels a bit bold. “Did you really knock up a girl?”

Raven applauds for Aden. “Yeah Aden, you tell him!” she pumps her fist in the air.

Lexa can already guess where her brother picked that language up. “Aden, show Lincoln how it’s done.”

Jake and Gustus look with wide eyes as Lincoln gets his ass kicked by Aden. It’s slightly concerning, yet amusing.

Octavia rolls her eyes when Lincoln loses. “I can’t believe you lost against Aden. Even I can beat him.”

Lexa looks amused. “It looks like my team has already won.”

Anya smirks at her. “Backing out of that fight against me?”

“Never.”

Lexa fights with Anya. Her last move is a kick right into Anya’s chest, making her fall onto the sand. “Your team doesn’t appear strong.”

Anya looks at Lincoln. “I blame him. Thanks to him, my best pupil can’t fight.”

“It is late, let us rest.” Lexa dismisses them all.

Jake looks at Gustus. “I believe we should never pick a fight with them.” He whispers.

Gustus nods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next chapter, they will return to civilization. It will be...something.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *** Warning: there is quite a bit of violence in this chapter and homophobia, read with caution***

Jake and Gustus crawl out of their tent. To their surprise, the girls, Aden and Lincoln are already sitting on their tree logs.

Jake retrieves some shoes from Gustus’ ship, in various sizes from the crew members, hoping they’ll fit the girls and Aden.

“Here, you can choose which shoes you want to wear.” Jake shows them the shoes. “You can try them on to see which ones fit you.”

Lexa shakes her head. She doesn’t want to wear shoes.

Clarke hesitantly tries on some shoes. It feels weird. She’s not used to wear shoes anymore. She picks out a pair, hoping it will make her dad smile.

One by one, they all try on shoes. The look on their faces is far from pleased. It doesn’t take long for them to kick their shoes away.

Gustus points to his ship. “We can go on board.” He looks at Lincoln. “You can come on board too one of my crew members can leave with your ship.”

Octavia freezes when they try to make her go on board. “No.” She shakes her head.

Aden doesn’t want to board either. “We could drown.”

Gustus shakes his head. “There are no reports of any storms and I have a stronger ship, none of us will drown.”

Lexa places her hands on her hips. “You don’t know that. If something happens… it’s a risk. I have to protect my people.” She steps in front of the drifters.

Jake sighs at Gustus. This is going to be harder than they thought it would be. What did they assume really? That the girls would dance and jump in joy to go on board? If the girls hadn’t gone missing, he probably wouldn’t board a ship anymore either.

It takes Gustus and Jake a lot of effort to convince the girls and the boy to board Gustus’ ship. They have to compromise to get them on board. They board the ship without shoes, as the first compromise. The second compromise is that they can choose which cabins they want and the last is that Gustus has to run every decision by Lexa and her wife Clarke.

Lexa shares a cabin with Clarke. The cabin right next to theirs is occupied by Raven, Anya and Octavia. The next one is where Aden and Lincoln sleep. Octavia had been torn to choose between Lincoln and Anya, but had finally chosen for Anya because she’s her mentor and guardian.

They sleep on the floor because they refuse to sleep in the beds. It had taken Gustus’ crew a while to bring sand from the island into their cabins to place it on the floor, so they can sleep on it with the blankets and pillows.

Gustus takes a look at his map. “We should arrive back to civilization in a week.”

 

* * *

 

 

Clarke sees her wife on the deck of Gustus’ ship, staring out over the water.

“Hey.” Clarke kisses her wife softly.

Lexa kisses her back. “Hey to you too.”

“Is something bothering you, Lexa?”

Lexa sighs. “Yes.” She wraps her arms around Clarke and holds her tight.

“What’s wrong?”

“I miss our home.”

Clarke nods. “The sea makes me a bit miserable too.”

“It has been more than eight years.”

“I’m scared too, Lexa.” Clarke gently squeezes Lexa’s hand. “We all are.”

“I’m happy our families are alive, I am, but…”

“You wish we wouldn’t have to leave our island.”

Lexa nods. She wants to go back home, back to their island.

“I know what you feel, Lexa. I’m happy they’re alive too, but it isn’t easy to have to go back to… I don’t even know what.”

“I’m sorry about your parents, Clarke.”

Clarke swallows. “I just don’t understand why they broke apart and how my mother married someone else now.” Her dad had told her about it and she struggled with it. “Marriage is sacred.”

“Those who are not drifters appear to have different habits. It is odd how they break their eternal love and marry another.”

“That will never happen to us.”

Lexa smiles warmly at Clarke. “Of course not. Our marriage is sacred, eternal.”

Raven and Anya approach them on the deck.

“Man I gotta say, it’s kinda nice that I’ll have my tech stuff again.” Raven shrugs. “But I kinda feel mixed about it. If they would have dropped some tech stuff on our island, I’d have been more than happy to stay there.”

Octavia’s voice startles them. “I’m happy that I’ll see my parents and my brother again, but I don’t think I want to live there. My home is our island.”

Lexa feels divided. Their island is her home, but Clarke is also her home.

Gustus and Jake observe them from a distance.

Jake whispers in Gustus’ ear. “I think they are miserable.” There’s a twinge of sadness in his voice.

Gustus agrees. “They have been living on that island for more than eight years. To them it must feel like we are ripping them away from their home.”

“It feels like stealing candy from a child.”

 

* * *

 

 

When the ship arrives back to civilization, the first thing Gustus and Jake notice is the amount of people on the beach. This is not their doing.

Indra looks up at them and shakes her head in disbelief. She goes on board before they can get out of Gustus’ ship.

Gustus crosses his arms. “Indra, what is the meaning of all those people on the beach?” He is not pleased to see the crowd on the beach.

“I told the Blakes and Abby, as you asked me to. Unfortunately, they told others as well.”

Jake looks at Indra. “How did they take the news of the girls being found?”

Indra lowers her voice to a whisper. “Shocked. They asked me if I meant that we found their bodies.”

Jake is pleased that the girls can’t hear this right now. They’re in their cabins. This not something he’d want the girls to hear.

“Do you have a car prepared?” Gustus asks.

“Yes, five to be exact.”

“Good work. Get the girls and the boy. I will try to distract the crowd while you escape with them. Bring them to the apartment.” Gustus takes a key out of his pocket and hands it to Indra. “The last they need right now is to be swarmed by that crowd.”

Indra nods and makes her way to the cabins. She finds Lexa and Clarke first in their cabin, sitting down onto the sand that’s on the floor.

“Lexa, I don’t think you remember me, I’m-”

Lexa smiles at her. “Indra, good to see you.”

“I always knew you were my favorite.”

Clarke is surprised to see her wife hugging Indra so easily. She knows Lexa is not much one to hug other people if they’re not her.

Lexa smiles at her. “Indra was my caretaker when I was younger… you know before…”

Clarke nods. She understands now.

Indra collects the girls, the boy and Lincoln. When Gustus is busy talking to the crowd, she tries to sneak away with the girls. She managed to convince them to put on sweaters and pull the hoodie over their heads. She tells them to lay low.

Unfortunately, the crowd is more than random people. The media showed up, ready to turn it into a circus.

Lexa, Clarke, Anya, Raven, Octavia and Aden freeze when they’re caught by the media like a deer in headlights. They panic and reach for their blades.

The media swarms around them. People are filming them, taking pictures and shoving microphones in front of their faces.

Octavia screams and Lexa looks angry. Those strangers are a threat to her people.

Lexa shouts at them. “Back off!” She points her blade out to them.

A few people are talking in a weird item that echoes their voices and lights are flashing. Is this some kind of weird weapon those strangers are using? Perhaps if she pushes that one that’s right in front of her, she can kick him in his chest. Then she can elbow the one standing next to him who is holding a stranger object on his shoulder with a strange looking rope.

Reporters are talking all at once. Lexa can hear bits and pieces.

_“Lost girls found after more than eight years”_

_“They have no idea what being civil means.”_

_“They look like cannibals.”_

_“Dangerous.”_

_“Not dead.”_

_“Armed.”_

Abby wiggles herself between the reporters.

“Clarke!” Abby grasps her daughter in a hug.

Clarke is caught off guard by the sudden hug and is just in time to hold her hand out to Lexa who was about to use her blade on Abby.

“Mom.” Clarke pulls away and wraps her arms around Lexa.

The crowd shouts a few things when Lexa kisses Clarke.

_“They’re gay.”_

_“Look they’re holding hands.”_

_“Ew.”_

_“Awe so sweet.”_

_“They’re not even wearing shoes.”_

_“Cute couple.”_

_“Who is that boy?”_

_“They have weapons.”_

The Blakes wiggle their way between the reporters as well. Bellamy hugs Octavia.

“It’s so good to see you, O.”

Octavia feels overwhelmed, all those people, all of this. She feels dizzy. The flashes around her make her eyes hurt. Her ears buzz from the noise of the crowd.

Octavia’s parents gasp when they see that Octavia is clearly pregnant. When they see Lincoln holding her hand, they glare daggers at him with their eyes. They shake their heads in disbelief.

“That’s not our daughter.” Disgust plasters their faces. “Our daughter is dead.” They turn around and leave before Octavia can even say hello.

Bellamy feels conflicted. His sister is alive and she’s pregnant.  “I… I’m sorry.” He turns around and runs after his parents.

Octavia can’t stop herself from crying. Her own parents are casting her out telling her their daughter is dead when she’s right here, alive. Can’t they see it’s her? She’s alive.

Lexa is getting more furious by each second that passes. There is so much noise. She feels like her ears are about to bleed.

Abby glares at Lexa and Clarke. “You… with… you like girls?”

Clarke has no idea why her mother is acting so strange or why some people in the crowd react so disgusted. “Lexa is my wife.”

Abby laughs. “Honey, she can’t be your wife. You can’t just point at someone and say you’re married.”

“We are married. We had a marriage and we made our blood oath for our eternal love.”

Abby’s eyes widen. “A blood oath? That’s barbaric! I don’t want you to be married to her, Clarke!” She spits her words out like they’re poison.

Lexa points her blade out to Abby. “You will not speak in that tone to my wife.” She holds Clarke tight. “You will show respect.” Her voice is strong. “Apologize this instance.”

Abby scoffs. “Respect? Young lady, you shouldn’t sneer at me like that. I’m Clarke’s mother and I don’t need to apologize.”

Aden stands fierce between them and glares at Abby. “You will respect our commander and her wife.” He lifts his chin up.

“Clarke is my daughter and she will do as I say!”

Lexa clenches her jaw. “Clarke is my wife, you are not her leader.” She grits her teeth.

“Your marriage with my daughter is a joke!” Abby spats.

Clarke laughs loudly. “A joke? You’re the one who married another. The only joke here is you.” This woman in front of her who is her mother is not the woman she remembers. “You disgust me.”

Abby’s jaw drops. “I disgust you!? You’re the one who is kissing-”

Lexa holds her blade close to Abby’s face. “Silence!” She snarls.

Anya is getting angry too. She remembers when she first kissed a girl, before the whole storm thing, a few people had reacted with disgust. Clearly, Abby was reacting that way to her sister and to Clarke. She wants to protect the drifters from people’s ignorance and stupidity.

Anya crosses her arms. “Listen you old hag, if you dare to spill words like that to my sister and her wife again, it will not end well for you.” She glares at Abby.

Raven joins her wife and looks at Abby. “Yeah bitch, back off will ya.” She leans on her wife’s shoulder.

Lexa rolls her eyes. “Language, both of you.”

Abby is gaping at them, speechless.

So much is happening at once. The reporters are all over it, highly amused. More cameras flash at the girls and the boy.

Lexa has had enough. She kicks her foot up at one of the men who are holding those strange objects on their shoulder with that strange rope. Her move causes the man to drop the strange object. She elbows another man who was holding a strange object close to her face, the object that makes every sound much louder. She knocks her knee into another man’s stomach that was pushing his finger on a strange object that sent flashes.

Octavia knows Lexa told her she’s not allowed to battle, but fuck if she cares. There are so many strangers threatening them right now and Lexa can’t take them all alone. She balls her fists and hits one of the strangers with those strange objects right in his jaw, making him stumble. She kicks another against his knee.

Lexa sees Abby approaching Clarke. She sees Abby roughly grabbing Clarke’s wrist. She snakes her arms around Clarke’s waist and pulls her back, away from Abby’s grip. She stands in front of Clarke to protect her and kicks Abby right into her chest. Nobody lays a hand on her wife.

Abby falls down with a painful thump. She thought dragging her daughter home would be more successful.

Lexa leans close enough towards Abby. “Touch my wife again and you will die.” Her nostrils flare up. “I don’t care who you are, you do not lay a hand on my wife.”

Clarke holds on to Lexa like nobody else is there.

Gustus and Jake reach them along with Gustus’ crew. They try to push all the reporters and the crowd away from the girls and the boy, before Lexa and Octavia kick them all down.

Indra tells Lexa that she and her people should follow her, so she can get them away from all those strangers.

Lexa nods and motions to the others to follow. Indra, her father and Jake are the only non-drifters she trusts.

With some effort, Indra manages to get them off the beach to a street where a few cars are waiting. Then it dawns to her. There is no way they would know how to drive a car.

Indra opens the car door. “I’m sorry about this, but you’ll have to sit on each other’s laps. I’d have more drivers for the other cars, but they’re a bit occupied at the moment on the beach. Please get in.”

Anxiously, they get in the car, packed together, sitting on each other’s lap.

Indra drives and brings them to a small apartment. She is relieved no reporters have followed them. Maybe the reporters grew tired of getting kicked. She guides them inside and closes the door.

Octavia is crying in Lincoln’s arms. It’s all too much for her. She’s ripped away from the island she’s been living on and her family told her their daughter is dead.

Indra feels for Octavia. That poor girl already went through so much. She also feels for Lexa and Clarke, and Anya and Raven who are married. She respects their sacred marriages, but she fears that many people won’t accept their marriages at all. She is also concerned about the homophobia, which the girls are probably unaware about.

She had tried to stop Abby and the Blakes from turning it into a media circus. She remembers their words.

‘ _Nonsense Indra, we should give them a big welcome home_.’

_‘They will love it.’_

_‘It will be like one big party.’_

_‘It will be a celebration.’_

Indra’s eyes still hurt from rolling them so much at their ignorance. That certainly worked out great now didn’t it. She never liked Abby and the Blakes weren’t much better.

 

* * *

 

 

Lexa and the others awkwardly stand on the carpet in the apartment, still not wearing shoes.

Indra tries to give them a tour in the apartment. “There are three bedrooms. You can choose in which one you want to sleep.”

Lexa peers around in the first bedroom. She notices the sheets on the bed. “Indra, can we get a few trees? Then we can make our hammocks.”

“I will see what I can do, Lexa.” Indra smiles politely. “Meanwhile, I suggest you try sleeping in the beds.”

Lexa nods slowly.

Indra lures them to the couch so they can sit there. She makes them some coffee.

Octavia peers into what Indra calls ‘a cup of coffee’. “It looks disgusting.” She takes a sip and scrunches her nose. “It is disgusting.”

The others carefully take a sip and crunch their nose up too. They all agree with Octavia, it is disgusting. They spit it out.

Lincoln is a bit amused while he drinks his coffee.

“I’m sorry about that.” Indra takes their cups away. “Can I offer anything else to drink?”

“Water.” Lexa replies.

Indra grabs some cups with water and gives them to the girls and the boy.

Octavia groans loudly. “I don’t understand why they call this home. This weird place, with those strange people. This is not home. Our island is home.”

“I agree.” Lexa whispers softly. “Our island is our home.” She takes a deep breath. “Those people on the beach had the strangest weapons.”

Raven snorts. “Actually, I think that may have been tech stuff.”

Lexa eyes Raven. “Dangerous stuff?”

“Hmm… I’m not sure really. Some tech stuff can be dangerous.”

“Their strange objects made my eyes and my ears hurt. They were trying to wound us.” Lexa’s voice is cold. She doesn’t like what those strangers tried to do.

The other drifters nod. It did hurt their eyes and their ears. Those strangers clearly attacked them.

Gustus and Jake walk into the apartment a while later. They’re relieved that the media doesn’t know where they are.

Jake smiles at his daughter. Abby had been so frustrating at the beach. It was clear to him that Abby was oblivious to the fact that the girls don’t know that some people are opposed to two girls being together. He finds it ridiculous how some people can be so cruel and how cruel Abby was being. At the beach, Abby had demanded him to bring Clarke to her house.

He had told her there was no way he would do that. Abby had already caused enough damage. He had told her Clarke is eighteen and that she can’t demand Clarke to be at her house. As shocking as Abby’s reaction was to him, the reaction of the Blakes was much worse.

Jake kneels down in front of Octavia. “Hey.” He offers her a smile. “You are welcome to stay with me and Clarke if you’d like.”

Lexa snaps her head up. “Octavia will always stay with us. She is one of our people. We all stay together.”

Gustus puts his hand on Jake’s shoulder. “I think we should bring them to my house. There is more space to keep them together there.”

Jake stands up, his eyes still on Octavia. “We should bring her to a hospital, to let them check if everything is okay with her baby.”

Octavia panics. “Ho-hospital…? For my baby?”

Lexa stands up. “You will not take Octavia anywhere.”

Indra looks at Gustus and Jake. “I would like to have a word with you both, in the hall.” She walks outside with them to talk.

“What is it, Indra?”

“I suggest we try to adapt as much as possible to them, to what they are used to. When I showed them the bedrooms, Lexa asked for trees to make hammocks. When I gave them coffee, they spit it out.” Indra sighs deeply. “Not to mention how they assumed the reporters were attacking them because the cameras made their eyes hurt and the microphones hurt their ears.”

Gustus and Jake nod.

 

* * *

 

 

Lexa and Anya go along with their father and Jake as they try to bring Octavia to a hospital for a check-up. All the drifters had wanted to go, but Jake told them that would draw too much unwanted attention. So it was decided that Lexa would go along, since she is the commander and Anya because she is the guardian and Octavia’s mentor.

Jake tries to lessen the tension. “No worries the hospital has a strict policy. They are not allowed to inform others, like those people who were on the beach.”

A doctor greets them politely and holds out a clipboard with papers. “I will need her guardian to fill out some papers for her.”

Anya holds her hand out for the papers.

The doctor curiously looks at her. “You look rather young ma’am.” He looks at Gustus and Jake. “I will need one of her parents to fill these in.”

Anya takes the papers from the doctor. “I am her guardian.”

The doctor clears his throat. He notices Gustus’ subtly pointing at the girl who took the papers and shaking his head. “Okay then, fill in the papers and hand them back to me when you’re done.”

Anya looks at her father.

Gustus smiles. “Need some help with those papers?”

Anya nods. Help would be nice.

Gustus takes the papers from her and fills them in, with some help from Jake.

Octavia refuses to let go of Lexa’s and Anya’s hand when the doctor comes back for her check-up.

The doctor shows sympathy and allows them to go with Octavia. He carefully explains everything step by step. He points at the monitor. “That is your baby right there.”

Octavia looks confused. “My baby is in there?” She points at the monitor. “Get my baby out of there.”

The doctor is lost for a second. “Oh… No, I don’t mean your baby is in here.” He points at the monitor. “Your baby is inside you.” He hopelessly tries to explain it to Octavia.

When Anya informs the doctor where they’re from, it dawns to him that they were the lost children. He tries his best to explain step by step what he means, but it seems foreign to the girls.

The doctor finishes the check-up and looks at Octavia. “You are both in perfect health, ma’am.”

“There are three of us here, is one of us sick?”

“No, ma’am, I mean you and the baby are in perfect health.”

“Oh.”

The doctor has a word with Jake and Gustus before dismissing them all.

The others are relieved when Octavia, Lexa and Anya return to them safely.

Each bedroom has a double bed. Lexa paces around.

“Clarke will share a room with me, Raven and Anya can take the other, Octavia and Aden can take the last room.”

It was decided that Lincoln would leave and not sleep in the apartment. The next day they will go to Gustus’ house where it is bigger. They will leave to prepare the house. Indra will sleep on the couch to stay with the girls and the boy.

 

* * *

 

 

Lexa rolls around on the mattress, trying to get used to it. It feels so… soft. She is glad that the apartment is silent. The people on the beach were so loud, such a pain for her ears. The silence here isn’t the same as the silence on her island. There are some muffled sounds from outside.

Clarke turns around and props herself up on her elbow to look at her wife. “Are you going to stop stirring like that?” She caresses her wife’s cheek and kisses her.

Lexa smiles against her lips. “It depends. Are you going to keep kissing me like that?”

Clarke places a finger against Lexa’s lips. “Shh, just kiss me.”

Lexa obliges immediately and kisses her wife. She flirtatiously lets her tongue explore Clarke’s soft lips. Mirthfully slipping her hands under Clarke’s shirt.

Indra had tried to offer them night gowns, but they had shaken their heads after touching the strange silky satin fabric. Sleeping in a shirt feels comfortable for them and sleeping without clothes feels comfortable too.

Clarke notices that the bed makes it very easy for her to roll Lexa over and crawl on top of her. She straddles Lexa’s hips.

“Clarke, how do you feel about today?”

Clarke sighs. “It was a mess. I didn’t like it. The beach, the crowd… All those strangers…Octavia’s parents were awful to her. How can they not be happy to see her? Octavia is alive and they tell her she’s dead.” She shakes her head. “I don’t understand that. She was standing right there, in front of them.”

“Strangers are… well, strange. Octavia’s parents might not have recognized her. They were out of line.”

“Speaking of out of line, my mother acted really strange. I don’t understand why she was so angry. Our marriage was a happy moment and it made her so… I don’t even know.”

“Do you think I should not have kicked your mother, Clarke?”

Clarke’s eyes light up. “Oh no, I don’t think that. It was awesome.” She chuckles lightly. “She had that coming. I didn’t like the way she grasped my wrist. She tried to drag me away and you stopped her.”

Lexa smiles weakly. “I would not let anyone harm you, Clarke.” She’s still worried.

“There were so many people. I’m glad Octavia helped.”

“Octavia should not have helped. It is appreciated, but in her current state she should not.”

Clarke lowers herself to kiss her wife. “I love you.”

Lexa relaxes at the touch of her wife’s lips. “I love you too.” She loves her, so much.

“This place is strange. I miss our home.”

Lexa strokes Clarke’s hair. “I miss our home too.”

They stare at the ceiling and think about their home.

 

* * *

 

 

Gustus gives the girls and the boy a tour around his house. He had arranged a few things for them. In their bedrooms, there is sand on the floor. In his kitchen, there are lots of berries, similar to the ones they ate on the island. There is one big space available for when they wish to battle. He has a pool which can somewhat be like the river they had on the island.

Lexa and her drifters walk over to the pool, they jump in it with their clothes, ready to fresh themselves up.

Gustus stops them. “That is not the purpose of the pool. The pool is to swim.” He holds his hands out to pull them out of the pool. “There are swim suits you could use.”

Indra holds up a few swim suits in various sizes.

Lexa shakes her head. She’s not going to wear those strange things. The other drifters are shaking their head too.

Gustus guides them to the closest bathroom. He shows them a shower. “This is a shower.” He shows them how the shower works. “You can stand under it to wash yourself.” He grabs towels and washcloths and shows them where the soap and everything else is.

The drifters flinch at the cold touch of the bathroom floor.

“I can place sand on the floor in every bathroom if you’d like.” Gustus offers.

Lexa nods.

Gustus orders one of his crew members to arrange sand for the bathrooms.

Octavia stares at the shower where water is magically appearing. Her parents never had a thing like that. She’s confused when Gustus explains that they can choose the temperature of the water.

“The red button means warm, the blue one means cold, if you turn both a bit, it won’t be too warm or too cold.”

Lexa cocks her eyebrow. “Why have two buttons when you can have one that is ideal?” She doesn’t understand why it has to be so complicated.

Gustus doesn’t blame them for finding it so difficult to understand. They have been on the island for more than eight years. Before the storm, he was often at sea with his daughters or on an island or camping somewhere. They were never really used to showers or other things that would be considered ‘luxury’. His tour is going to take a while. He assigns Indra to stay with them at all times.

Gustus jumps up by a loud scream. He rushes to the living room where he heard the scream.

Lexa is holding her blade out. “You evil beast!” She growls. “How dare you attack my people!”

Gustus looks at his daughter and at Octavia who looks scared while a ball of fur is trying to reach her.

Right, Gustus forgot he has a dog in his house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lexa is still a badass. 
> 
> Gustus forgot the slight detail that he has a dog.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They meet the dog.

Gustus kneels down next to his dog and holds his hand up to his daughter. “Please put your blade away, Lexa.”

Jake approaches them. “I don’t think they should keep their blades on them.” His voice is soft.

Gustus has a small smile on his face. “Well Jake, if you don’t want them to have their blades, be my guest to take it from them.”

Jake holds his hands up. “On second thought, I don’t mind at all.”

Gustus chuckles. “I thought not.”

Clarke smiles at the sight of her dad and Lexa’s dad getting along. They’re clearly friends and she’s really happy about that.

Lexa looks at her father. “That beast was attacking!” She needs her blade to defend her people.

“Lexa, this is my dog. He was not trying to attack. He was excited to see you all. He’s very cuddly. He was trying to greet you all.”

Lexa crosses her arms. “You’re saying he tried to greet us by jumping up against us?” She tucks her blade back into her waistband.

“Yes, Lexa. He’s a dog, he does that sometimes. He doesn’t attack.”

Octavia pipes up. “Oh, so he’s a pet?”

Gustus nods.

“What’s his name?”

“His name is Buddy. You can pet him if you want.” Gustus shows them how they can pet him. “See, he’s not dangerous.”

Gustus’ dog is a big fluffy golden retriever. He’s very playful.

Lexa tilts her head. “What is he doing?” She studies the dog cautiously.

“He’s wagging his tail. He’s happy to see you all.”

Gustus grabs a ball. “Watch what he does when I throw this ball away.” He tosses the ball away.

Buddy rushes after it, grabs it and runs back to Gustus, jumping back up excitedly.

“It’s called fetching. He was fetching the ball.” Gustus explains.

Octavia smiles at the dog. “Can I keep him?”

Gustus laughs. “He’s my pet actually, but you can play with him.”

Lexa lets out a raspy laugh. “Not every pet can be yours, Octavia.”

“It’s not fair, Arcola is still on our island.” Octavia slumps her shoulders.

Octavia had tried to bring Arcola with her, but it was no use. Arcola was flying around the trees on the island.

Slowly, they warm up to the dog when they realize he’s just a sweet cuddly ball of fur.

Gustus explains how they can walk the dog, but that if they want to walk him, they’ll have to go outside and be careful. He doesn’t want to keep them locked in his house, but they’ll have to be careful when they go outside. The media can be lurking around, ready to jump up on them with cameras and microphones.

 

* * *

 

 

Jake sits down on the couch next to Gustus while the others are in the pool.

“I must say, now that we’re back, I was hoping we could watch some television.” Jake stares at the empty table in front of them.

Gustus shakes his head. “My daughters wouldn’t even know what a television is, we never had one. We spent a lot of time at sea, on islands and in forests anyway. Raven wouldn’t know what it is either, she came from a very poor home, which is quite baffling given her interest in technology. They never had a cellphone or anything either.”

Jake nods. “There was a television in our house when I was still married to Abby, but Clarke never really paid attention to it. She was always coloring and playing. Octavia’s parents didn’t have a television. They never really had many things. The girls often played outside.”

“Even if I had a television, I bet every channel is still talking about the girls and they’re probably talking about Aden too.” Gustus tosses a newspaper at Jake. “First page up until the third, all about the girls and ‘the mystery boy’. There is also a small interview in there with Abby and the Blakes.”

Jake looks at the newspaper. “They’re calling the girls criminals?”

“Yes and if you read a bit further, Abby told the press that Lexa is corrupting Clarke to be a criminal.”

Jake sighs deeply. “I’m sorry about that, Gustus. Your daughter is a good person.” His ex-wife is unbelievable.

“It’s not your fault, Jake.”

“The girls seemed very surprised about the dog.”

Gustus scratches his beard. “Ah yes, they never had a dog before.”

“How did they respond to the shower? I bet it must have been strange for Clarke and Octavia. When Clarke was younger, we did have a bathtub, but not a shower and the Blakes never had a bathtub or a shower.”

Gustus chuckles, slightly amused. “They definitely seemed surprised. It is new for my daughters too. We used to go away so often and never stuck around at places with showers or bathtubs. This house is the most luxurious place they have ever been in, but I’m glad I bought it because it’s big enough for all of them. I think Aden isn’t used to any of it either. Perhaps he spent his life growing up on a ship, or well, at least until he got onto the island with the girls.” He takes a deep breath and looks around. “We always had money, but our family loved to go on adventures.”

“You have amazing daughters, Gustus. Truly, Anya has done so well as their guardian and I heard she rescued Aden and then of course there is Lexa, their commander. Lexa makes Clarke so happy, which makes me really happy.”

“They are all amazing. I can see Clarke makes Lexa happy too.”

“Do you miss spending time on your ship, sailing around?” Jake looks up at Gustus. “We have been sailing for more than eight years, after all.”

“Ah yes, I do miss it. It’s always been most of my life. Right now, the girls and the boy need a steady place.”

“Are the girls still in the pool?”

“I believe so. Indra is with them.”

“I’m glad Octavia can swim now.” Jake is relieved about that.

“Anya told me she taught her to swim.”

Jake smiles. “They’re really close with each other.”

“Well they were on that island for more than eight years, all they had was each other.”

“Do you think it was a mistake to bring them here, away from their island?”

“Honestly, Jake? Yes, it was a mistake.”

“Do you still want to go through with plan B?”

Gustus nods. “Plan A did not go so well.”

“I will help.”

 

* * *

 

 

The drifters are in the pool, splashing water at each other. They had refused to wear swim suits, but Indra was able to convince them to wear swim shorts. So they are wearing swim shorts and big shirts. It was good enough for Indra. They compromised and that’s what counts.

Octavia holds one hand close to her stomach. “I wish my parents wouldn’t have told me they think I’m dead.” She feels tears welling up again at the memory.

Raven scoffs. “Your parents can go float themselves.” She hates how Octavia’s parents reacted.

Octavia looks confused. “Float themselves?” She wonders what Raven means.

“Yeah, you know, float as on a boat, away from us.” Raven waves her hands. “They can go float themselves.” To herself she thinks how they can go fuck themselves.

Octavia cracks a small smile. “Yeah that sounds good.”

Anya chimes in. “While they’re at it, Bellamy can go float himself too.”

Clarke holds one of her hands out to Octavia. “You have us, we’re your family.”

Octavia hugs Clarke.

Lexa pumps her fists in the air. “All the people who were a threat at the beach can go float themselves!”

Raven cheers. “Yeah, float them!”

Lincoln pulls Octavia into his arms, soothingly stroking her hair.

Clarke wishes she could do something for Octavia. Her dad had taken everything so well, even though her mother didn’t, her dad did. She still had him. Lexa’s dad had replied really well too. Octavia ended up empty handed when her parents and her brother left. She can’t understand how they could do that to her. They have no idea how amazing Octavia is.

 

* * *

 

 

Clarke is in her room when she hears a knock on her door. “Yeah?” She wonders who’s knocking.

Jake walks into her room.

“Hi, dad.” Clarke smiles at him.

“Hey, Clarke. I was hoping we could talk for a while.”

“Sure yeah.”

Jake sits down on the matrass next to his daughter. “So you and Lexa are married?”

Clarke smiles brightly and her eyes light up. “Yes, we are.”

“Did one of you propose?”

“Oh yes! Lexa did.”

Jake smiles warmly at his daughter. “I’d love to hear about that, would you like to tell me?”

Clarke shrieks. Of course she wants to tell her dad about Lexa’s proposal and their marriage and gah, all of it.

“So we were on our island. She took me to the river where we talked. I told her so much about you, dad! Then we kissed under the waterfall and it was amazing. She told me to close my eyes and I did. With my eyes closed, she was guiding me. When I opened them there was this big heart into the sand at the beach. It was made with shells and in it with flowers it had the words ‘will you marry me?’ and Lexa was on one knee next to the heart and - Dad, are you crying?”

Jake is so happy to hear his daughter talk about all of this. He wipes a few tears away. “These are happy tears, Clarke. I’m so happy to hear you talk about all of this. Please, go on.”

“Okay so, Lexa was on one knee next to the heart and then she opened her hands and she had a white pearl in her hands. She proposed to me and of course I said yes. I love that dork! She’s such a sap.”

Jake chuckles at the way his daughter is gashing about Lexa. “It sounds like her proposal to you was very romantic.”

“Oh yes, like I said dad, Lexa is such a sap!” Clarke shows her dad the pearl. “See, this is the white pearl she gave me.”

“If you want, we can have that placed onto a ring.”

“I want a ring for Lexa too, she’s my wife.”

“We can arrange that kiddo.” Jake gently squeezes her hand.

“Perhaps Anya and Raven wants rings too.”

“I’ll ask them.”

Together they go find the others in Gustus’ house. Jake explains his idea to them.

“I’ll go with them.” Indra offers.

Jake nods. “That’s a good idea.”

Indra grabs some shoes. “Lexa, Clarke, Anya and Raven, I know you all don’t like this part, but I’ll have to ask you to put shoes on. We’re going outside.” She grabs some sunglasses. “You’ll have to put these on too.”

 

* * *

 

 

Lexa, Clarke, Raven and Anya feel annoyed when they’re walking outside. The streets are loud and their shoes are weird.

Indra takes them to a store where they sell wedding rings where they can all pick one out.

The lady in the store is friendly and helps the girls.

Clarke selects a golden ring and waits for her white pearl to be placed onto it. She locks her arm around her wife and smiles brightly. She steals glances when Lexa walks around to look at the rings.

The lady in the store smiles. “You ladies all look young. I apologize if I’m overstepping, but it is beautiful to see such young people so deeply in love.”

Lexa smiles back at the lady. “Our love is eternal.” Their marriages are important.

“Oh.” The lady in the store replies. “That is nice. Some people want tattoos instead of rings when they want their love to be eternal.”

Lexa cocks her eyebrow. “What is that?” She has no idea what tattoos are.

Indra shows the tattoos on her arms. “This is what they call tattoos.”

“Oh, I want those.” Lexa admirers the tattoos on Indra’s arms.

“You can choose any design you like.” Indra explains.

The lady in the store looks at them. “Some people choose tattoos that go around their ring finger.”

Lexa nods. “I want that.”

Clarke, Raven and Anya nod. They want that too.

The lady of the store sells Clarke a necklace for her white pearl. Indra pays for it with money Jake had given her.

When they step outside, Lexa is curious to know something. “When you want something here, you have to give something in return, like a trade?” She thinks that must be why Indra pulled some sort of paper out of her pocket and gave it to the lady of the store.

Indra shakes her head. “Not quite. When you want something here, you have to pay with money. What I gave the lady was money.”

“Oh.” Lexa nods, trying to understand. “Where can we get our tattoos?”

Indra takes them to a tattoo shop. She wonders if Gustus and Jake will kill her for this, but she can’t deny them what they want, they’re adults.

Lexa goes first and her eyes widen. “He has a weapon!” She looks at the tattoo artist.

Indra puts a hand on her shoulder. “It’s not a weapon, Lexa. It is what he needs to give you a tattoo. It will sting a bit, but he is not trying to wound you.”

The tattoo artist gives them a confused look. It takes a while before he’s done tattooing the girls.

On their way back to Gustus’ house, some people on the street voice their reactions about their relationships. Their fingers are intertwined and occasionally they give each other a kiss, like they always do.

_“Awe.”_

_“Repulsive.”_

_“Shameful.”_

Some people look at them with disgust while others look confused or smile.

Two girls holding hands pass them. “Don’t worry about those homophobes, they’re so ignorant.” One of them politely says with a soft voice.

Lexa is confused. Homophobes? What is that? She doesn’t get the chance to ask, the girls are already walking away and Anya is suddenly dragging her along, rushing to walk faster.

Jake gasps when Clarke proudly shows her tattoo. This is great, he sends Indra out with the girls for rings and they come back with tattoos.

Indra acts like her nose is bleeding and turns away.

 

* * *

 

 

“What kind of thing is homophobes?”

Lexa is sitting on the couch with the others. It hadn’t left her thoughts what that girl on the streets had said. She wants an answer. She wants to know what it means.

Gustus, Jake and Indra exchange awkward looks as if they’re trying to decide who will explain it.

Jake takes a deep breath. “I’ll explain it.” He feels like they can’t escape this, not when they’re here in this strange place, so far away from the island.

Lexa nods and waits for Jake to explain.

“There are people who… don’t like it when two girls are together or when two boys are together… Well, let’s put it like this, there are people who don’t like couples that are not a girl with a boy. For example, those people would accept Lincoln with Octavia, but not Anya with Raven.”

Lexa gasps. “But why?”

“Some people don’t like it. Why is a good question, I ask myself that question as well. Those who don’t like it will try to come up with all sorts of reasons why they don’t like it, but it is all ignorance. The people who express disgust, those are called homophobes, because they are being homophobic.”

Clarke seems to get the picture. “Is that why… mom?” So that’s it, her mother was acting strange because… because…Great so her mother is homophobic?

Lexa narrows her eyes. “It is disrespectful for people to respond with disgust. They do not have to like us being together, but it truly is not up to them to decide who should and who should not be together. Our marriages are sacred and who does not like it can go float themselves.”

Jake nearly chokes at Lexa’s words. He had noticed how often Lexa told the others, or well, told Raven to watch her language. His cellphone is ringing, distracting him from his thoughts. He takes it out of his pocket to look at it and picks it up.

“Hello?”

Lexa looks really confused now. “Who is he talking to?” She asks the others when Jake walks away and continues to talk in the thing he’s holding in his hand against his ear.

Raven scrapes her chin. “I think maybe it’s like a radio thing or something, like the radio at the ship.” She’s rusty on her knowledge about technology, but she tries.

“It’s a cellphone.” Gustus suffices. “It’s an electronic device. You can use it if you want to call people. It is a bit similar to the radio in my ship, but slightly different.”

Raven perks up. “Can I have one of those thingies to tinker with?”

Gustus nods and looks at Indra. “Arrange a few items for Raven.” He looks back at Raven. “Indra will bring them to you eventually.”

“Cool, thanks mister G.”

Anya snorts. “Mister G? Really?”

“What? It’s good.”

Anya rolls her eyes. “It’s a little awkward when you call my father that.”

Clarke notices the newspaper on the table. She glances at it and her eyes become glassy, tears threaten to spill.

Gustus is confused at her reaction. “Clarke, can you read?”

Clarke nods. “We had a few books on our island, Anya was our teacher for a while and sometimes Raven too. I think the books belonged to my dad.”

Gustus feels like he should have hidden the newspaper. He didn’t know they’d be able to read it. It’s too late now. Clarke is already folding it open and reading the article, while the others lean over her shoulders to read it too.

 

* * *

 

 

Clarke twists her fingers in the curls of Lexa’s hair. She’s trying to place herself comfortably on the matrass next to her. The nightgown she’s wearing tickles her leg as it rises up. She had decided to try sleeping in one of those. The fabric is feathery light and smooth. Of course not as smooth as her wife’s skin.

Lexa smiles when she feels Clarke curling tangling her fingers in her hair. When they’re in bed, she always makes sure her hair is not braided anymore so Clarke can play with it if she wants. There are other times where she lets it down too.

Clarke lets out a sigh. “The people from that newspaper are wrong.” She didn’t like what she read.

Lexa nods. “The things they wrote about us are not nice.”

“I read they there was an interview with my mother and her words were in the newspaper. Maybe we can get out words in there too.”

“Maybe we can, but I do not know how.”

Clarke shrugs. “I don’t know how either. Maybe my dad knows or your dad.”

“Hmm.” Lexa kisses her wife. “We can ask them when the sun rises.”

Clarke nods. She likes that idea.

Lexa slides her hands across Clarke’s nightgown. “What you are wearing feels very soft.”

“Do you like it?” Clarke nervously bites her lip.

“It looks beautiful on you.”

“Perhaps you can wear one too.”

Lexa licks her lips. “I’ll think about it.”

Clarke pushes her wife down onto the matrass and winks at her. “Only think, commander?”

“Are you trying to bribe your wife, Clarke?”

“It depends, is it working?”

Lexa smiles. She snakes her hands around Clarke’s neck and pulls her closer on top of her, kissing her passionately. “You look angelic.”

Clarke blushes deeply. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Lexa gives her wife a devious look. “Such a shame you’ll have to take that off.” She grips the fabric of the nightgown.

“If you take your shirt off, then sure.” Clarke coos.

Lexa quickly pulls her shirt off. “You were saying?” A smile tugs at her lips.

Clarke pushes her gently. “You’re such a dork.”

“Your dork.”

Clarke hums against Lexa’s lips. “Always.”

 

* * *

 

 

Anya kisses Raven while she leans down on her.

Raven grunts lowly. “Bite me.”

Anya moves her lips to Raven’s neck, teasingly sucking on her pulse point. “Make me.”

Raven can feel her wife smiling against her neck. Oh so Anya wants her to make her? Fine, she’ll make her. She rolls her wife over onto the matrass and crawls on top of her. She grasps Anya’s shirt and tangles her nails in it, roughly ripping at the fabric, tearing the shirt.

“Raven!” Anya gasps. “My shirt!”

Raven smirks proudly. “Bite me.” She places wet sloppy kisses all over Anya’s chest.

“Oh after this I’ll do more than bite you, trust me.”

Raven looks up and winks. “I’m counting on it.” She straddles Anya’s hips and slowly slides one of her fingers down.

 

* * *

 

 

Octavia smiles warmly at Lincoln, who is carefully holding a hand to her stomach while telling stories. He had told her their baby will be able to hear his voice. She can’t believe that the day she met him, she thought he was a threat, because strangers are always considered a threat. In Lincoln’s case, he was not a threat at all. He’s very sweet to her and he helps her to not be afraid.

She tries not to chuckle when Lincoln changes his voice to talk to her stomach. He had told her it is the way adults talk to babies and little children sometimes. She thinks it’s really endearing, but also funny. She’s happy she has him. He has been her rock since her parents turned their back at her on the beach. Of course the other drifters are all amazing too. She’ll always have a family.

She wishes it wouldn’t take so long for that baby to come out. The doctor had told her it would take about nine months in total and that she’s not even halfway yet. She misses being able to fight, but she understands now that it wouldn’t be safe. She has to watch out for the baby.

Lincoln gently caresses Octavia’s cheek and kisses her. He loves her, so much. He wonders what it will be like for her once she’s ready to have the baby. He knows she’s strong, but he’s still worried.

“I was thinking, we could get a few things for our baby, to prepare.” Lincoln whispers in Octavia’s ear.

“I think I would like that.”

“I’ll talk about it with the others tomorrow. We would have to go outside to go somewhere to get all the things we will need, to go shopping.”

“Oh.” Octavia closes her eyes. Outside, they’ll have to go outside. “We will see what the others say.”

 

* * *

 

 

Jake is sitting at the kitchen table with Gustus in Gustus’ house, absent-mindedly sipping coffee with a newspaper in front of him on the table, when his daughter walks in with her wife, closely followed by the other drifters.

“Good morning, dad!” Clarke’s voice rings through the air.

Jake looks up from his newspaper. “Good morning kiddo.”

Clarke shakes her head. “Dad, I’m not a kid anymore.”

Jake tries to hide the twinge of sadness he feels. “I know.” He replies softly.

Lexa nods shortly towards Gustus. “Good morning, father.”

Gustus smiles at all of them. “Good morning, all of you.” He gestures for them all to sit.

Aden politely dips his head. “Good morning, Jake and Gustus.”

Gustus holds one hand up and shakes it. “You may call me father, if you want.” He looks up at Aden. “You are a part of the Woods family after all.”

Aden nods his head. Yes, he’d like that. He’s trying to get used to it. He’s used to Anya and Lexa being his sisters, but he’s not used yet to Gustus being his father.

The drifters each grab a bowl with berries.

Lexa clears her throat to speak. “My wife wants to know how she can get her words on paper. Abby’s words are in that paper and Clarke wants her words in it too. The people in that paper are wrong about us.”

“That would mean she’d have to talk to a reporter. Like the ones you… met… at the beach.” Jake replies, carefully selecting his words.

“I can set a meeting up.” Gustus chimes in. “I can arrange for you all to meet one of those reporters you so gracefully fought.” He tries to hide a proud smile.

Lexa narrows her eyes and crunches her nose. “Fine, get one of those strangers here.” Her voice is cold. “If they attack, I will not hesitate to fight back.”

“I have a request too.” Octavia pipes up. “Lincoln said we can go sho-shop-shopping(?) outside for things for the baby.” She nudges Lincoln with her elbow.

“Yes, I did say that.” Lincoln places a hand on Octavia’s shoulder. “It could be nice.”

Lexa holds her hands up. “Lincoln, Octavia and Anya will go outside to get things for the baby.” She points at Jake. “You will accompany them to get to those strange places.” Her voice is strong and demanding. “Anya will be in charge, you will do as she says.”

Jake tilts his head. So this is commander Lexa, obviously. He wants to say something, but he decides against it.

Lexa continues. “Clarke and Raven will stay with me to meet that paper person.” She points at Indra. “You will accompany us for that.”

Indra looks briefly at Gustus, when he nods at her, she nods at Lexa.

“Hey Lexa, it’s cool you picked me to join you and all that.” Raven waves her hand around in a circular motion. “I just gotta ask, why me?”

Lexa purses her lips. “Because you… talk easily.” To herself she thinks it’s funny when Raven gets sassy and perhaps they’ll need that.

Indra grabs car keys. “We can go to the apartment to meet with that reporter. They don’t need to know that you are all living here.” She offers.

Lexa nods. She likes that suggestion.

Gustus points at Aden. “What about Aden? You didn’t tell him anything.”

“That is correct, father. I did not. Aden will stay here with you. Get to know each other.”

Lexa flicks her wrist, giving them the signal it is time to go and do as they are told.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Octavia goes shopping for baby items with her little group, while Lexa will meet a reporter with her little group.   
> Meanwhile, Aden is awkwardly left alone with Gustus.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa, Clarke and Raven have an interview.

Indra stands close to the door in the apartment, waiting for the reporter, while Lexa, Clarke and Raven are sitting on the couch. She had briefly explained to them what a reporter is and what a reporter does, to avoid a fight breaking out when the reporter holds a microphone out to them or when the reporter grabs a recorder. Before they left, she had helped them to select outfits to wear.

Raven had listened intently when Indra explained it all. Everything that has to do with technology is right up her ally and she can listen for hours when people talk about it. It was all very fascinating for her. She feels pumped about the interview they’re about to have and she’s glad Lexa picked her to tag along. She’s wearing black pants, some type of sport shoes, a red shirt and a black leather jacket. She has to admit that she kind of digs the leather jacket.

Lexa found it very boring to listen to Indra’s explanation. She tried to listen as well as she can, to be polite. Technology is not her thing. Put her in some forest or on an island, and she’s fine. She feels indifferent about the interview. She’s doing this for her wife, because it matters to her and if it matters to Clarke, well then it kind of matters to her too. Perhaps this interview can set a few things right. She’s wearing a dark grey and white suit with black shoes. It makes her feel like she’s about to get married all over again.

Clarke listened to Indra’s explanation and tried to memorize as much of it as she can. It was a lot at once. She feels nervous about the interview. It all sounds like a big deal if people will be able to read about it and hear about it on the radio. According to Indra people would also be able to see it. She’s not sure what to expect, but she hopes it won’t be similar to what happened on the beach. She’s wearing a peach-colored dress and cute pink shoes.

Lexa sighs for a moment. “I hope this interview can set some things straight.”

Raven smirks. “Not us though.”

“You are a strange woman, Raven.” Lexa smooths her suit. “We will try to straighten this.”

“God Lexa, are you saying those things on purpose?”

“This is serious, Raven.”

Lexa hopes she won’t have to regret that she took Raven with her. This is a serious situation and she needs Raven to be at least a little bit serious. She doesn’t want to ruin this for Clarke.

There are a few knocks on the door. When Lexa gives Indra a short nod, Indra opens the door. A reporter walks in, followed by two men who are holding cameras.

There is a chair in front of the couch. Lexa gestures to it, motioning the reporter to sit.

The reporter is an older lady. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a recorder. She sets the recorder on the table and grabs a microphone. There is a weird cross hanging around her neck.

Lexa watches every move she makes. Her blade is safely tucked in her waistband. Inside the sleeves of her suit, she has two more blades. She refuses to go anywhere unarmed. There’s always a chance she might need her blades.

Raven is armed too, she has a blade strapped against each of her legs, under her pants and she has a pocket knife in her leather jacket.

Clarke has a knife carefully tucked away between her breasts, under her dress, ready to pull it out if she needs it. It was a tricky task to place it there, but she managed. All she has to do is not make any big movements while it’s tucked there.

They realize that yes, they are armed. And yes, maybe they are a little bit dangerous. Other than that, the article they had read in the newspaper contained many lies.

_“Hello, can you all shortly introduce yourselves?”_

“I’m Lexa, Lexa Woods.”

Raven bites her lip. “The name’s Reyes, Raven Reyes.” She winks with a smug look on her face.

“I’m Clarke, Clarke Griffin.”

_“Lexa, on the beach, you were attacking some of the reporters. Why did you do that?”_

“I thought they were attacking us, I was defending my people.”

_“What made you think they were attacking?”_

“I did not know what cameras and microphones are. All I knew was that the noise hurt our ears and the flashes hurt our eyes. I assumed they were a threat to my people.”

_“You keep saying your people. Are the lost children your people?”_

“We were never truly lost. If anything, we are lost now.”

Lexa finds it slightly confusing how people refer to them as lost children. In the eyes of their families they were probably lost, like their families had been lost for them, but they were never really lost. They had a home. They were on their island. Now in this world, she's never felt so lost before and she knows the other drifters feel the same. Except for Lincoln maybe.

_“Because you are unfamiliar with the surroundings here?”_

“Yes.”

_“You kicked Clarke’s mother right in her chest.”_

“I did. She grabbed her wrist and tried to drag her away. Nobody is allowed to lay a hand on my wife. It does not matter that it was her mother. I would fight anyone who tries to harm my wife.”

_“You are suggesting Clarke is your wife?”_

“I am not suggesting she is my wife. I’m telling you she is my wife.”

_“Are you saying you married her?”_

“Yes.”

_“Clarke’s mother has told us you are corrupting her to be a criminal.”_

“I’m not corrupting my wife. We are not criminals.”

The reporter turns her attention to Clarke.

_“How do you feel about Lexa kicking your mother?”_

“She deserved it.”

_“You would choose Lexa over your own mother?”_

“Lexa is my wife. It was not about a choice. What my mother did was wrong and my wife defended me.”

Clarke doesn’t understand why this reporter seems to think that she should root for her mother and leave her wife. Why on earth would she do that? It’s not that she hates her mother, but her mother has been really disrespectful and she was out of line. She wouldn’t want to live with her. Her life is with Lexa. If anyone ever would tell her she’d have to choose, it would be Lexa, always, every time, every second of every day.

_“How did you two get married?”_

“We have a sacred blood oath.”

_“That sounds barbaric.”_

Raven pipes up. “Hey listen lady if you came here to insult us you can walk your ass out of here, unless you’d like me to show you every corner of this apartment.”

Raven hates how disrespectful the reporter is. Their blood oath is sacred, not barbaric. Of course some uptight lady with a stick up her ass doesn’t get that. She bets that woman never even had a scratch. If that woman can’t respect their marriages, then she should shut up and leave.

The reporter’s jaw drops.

Lexa puts a hand on Raven’s arm. “Now is not the time to give her a tour around the apartment.”

_“You people are dangerous criminals!”_

Lexa shakes her head. “Dangerous? Sure we are. Criminals? No we are not.”

_“Are you armed?”_

Lexa’s voice is calm. “Do we look armed?” Of course they’re armed, how naïve is that lady.

_“No, you do not look armed. Who is that boy we saw on the beach?”_

“That is my brother.”

Lexa had no idea this interview with that paper person would be an interrogation. If she would have known this, she might have tried to talk Clarke out of this. She doesn’t like it.

_“Our sources did not inform us about you having a brother.”_

“Well, we were not informed there would a freakin’ circus on the beach.” Raven snaps at the reporter. “Not to forget all the homophobes.”

Lexa whispers softly. “I didn’t even notice there was a circus there.” She tries to remember if it was there. There were so many strangers. It’s possible.

Raven feels herself dying on the inside. It is so difficult for her right now to try to be serious. She bites her lip, trying not to laugh. She likes that sister in law of hers.

_“From what I heard, you are all young to be married. Perhaps you are all confused and don’t truly understand marriage.”_

Clarke is tired of listening to all of this. “We don’t understand? Our marriages are sacred, eternal. We take our marriages very serious. Here in this world, people divorce and marry another like it all means nothing.” She’s thinking about her mother.

Lexa joins her wife. “Age does not determine how strong one’s love can be.”

“Yeah, Lexa and Clarke are eighteen but they’re so deeply in love, it’s amazing. Then there are people in this world double their age who wouldn’t know what love is even if you smack it in their face.” Raven adds. “Any other excuses?”

_“So you are lesbians?”_

Raven crosses her arms. “Yes, we are.”

_“According to our sources, one of the girls, Octavia, is pregnant.”_

“Yes, she is.” Clarke replies.

_“Her parents are not happy about that.”_

Raven scoffs. “Yeah well, they can go float themselves.”

Lexa stands up. “We are leaving, this interview is done.” There’s a hint of anger in her voice.

Clarke and Raven slowly stand up, following Lexa.

_“Wait, Octavia’s brother Bellamy is looking for her.”_

Lexa turns around for a second. “Wish him good luck.” Her tone is icy and she walks out without another word.

Raven cheers. “Damn, Lexa, couldn’t have said it better myself.” She holds her hand up. “High five?”

Lexa awkwardly high fives Raven. She looks at Indra. “You need to find us a better paper person.”

“Yes commander, I will find one.” Indra replies.

When they’re back at Gustus’ house, they take out the blades they’ve been hiding. Lexa slides her blades out of her sleeves and reaches for the one in her waistband. Raven bends down and rolls her pants up a bit to retract the blades she has been hiding there. Clarke carefully reaches into the front piece of her dress and slowly pulls the knife out.

Indra looks shocked. “You were all armed this entire time?” She should have known they would be

Lexa nods. “Of course Indra, we always are.” That’s a weird question.

 

* * *

 

 

Octavia tightly holds Lincoln’s hand. Her other arm is linked with Anya’s arm.

They’re walking in some kind of baby store Jake had brought them too. They’re wearing sunglasses and they have a hoodie over their heads.

Jake is smiling brightly and showing them all the baby items. It brings back so many memories for him, from the time Abby was pregnant with Clarke. He’s happy to help Octavia. She’s always been his daughter’s best friend and he’s glad to see they’re still close after all those years.

A young girl approaches them. She looks like a student, probably around Octavia’s age.

“Hello, welcome.” The girl smiles politely. “My name is Harper. I can help you to select a few items if you’d like.”

Octavia smiles at her. “Yes, I’d like that.”

Harper holds her hand out for Octavia. “You may follow me.” She smiles warmly.

Octavia hesitantly accepts Harper’s hand, while Anya cautiously watches. She wonders if she always has to hold hands with people who work in stores when she’s walking around in one.

Harper winks at Lincoln. “No worries, I won’t steal your girl. I already have a girlfriend.”

Harper shows Octavia different baby items and talks to her. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Octavia.” She points at Lincoln. “That’s Lincoln.” She points at Anya. “That’s Anya.” Lastly she points at Jake. “And that’s Jake.”

“Is Jake your father?”

“No… my parents they eh… they cast me out.”

Harper gasps. “That’s cruel of them.” She quickly changes the subject. “So you’re with Lincoln?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“Is Anya single?” Harper stifles a laugh. “I’m not asking to date her or anything. I’m too curious sometimes.”

“I’m married. I have a wife.” Anya replies.

Harper smiles at her. “That’s lovely. What was your wedding like?”

“It was beautiful. We made our blood oath and now our love will be eternal.”

“That sounds awesome! Maybe I can do that with my girlfriend too someday.” Harper stares at them. “Hey wait a minute, aren’t you two girls who got lost after that storm? I saw you in the news and stuff!”

Anya sighs, so much for trying to lay low. “Yeah that’s us.” She shouldn’t have let Octavia share their names. Couldn’t she have pretended to be Arcola?

They talk on while Harper shows them more baby stuff and helps Octavia to select what she’ll need. Harper explains everything thoroughly and with patience.

When they check out, Harper taps Octavia’s shoulder. “Hey I was wondering, if you don’t mind, we could all go out and grab some coffee.”

Octavia shakes her head. “No.”

“Oh.” Harper bites her lip. “I mean, not like a date, I mean to hang out, so we can all get to know each other. I’ll bring my girlfriend.”

Octavia chuckles lightly. “I mean, no we don’t like coffee.” She should have been more precise.

“Oh, right my bad!” Harper laughs. “Something else then?”

“How about we let you know where we live and you visit us there?” Anya suggests.

“Oh yeah sure, sounds great!”

Jake scribbles down the address and hands it to Harper. She looks like a regular girl, friendly. Nothing like those reporters at the beach. It won’t be his fault if Gustus or Lexa don’t like it. Lexa had left Anya in charge. He also scribbles down where the shop can bring the delivery.

Octavia links her arm with Anya while they’re walking outside to go to Gustus’ house again.

“That Harper girl seemed nice.” Octavia whispers. “I like her.”

“I think it would be nice to have her as a friend.” Anya whispers back.

“Yeah.”

Lincoln shakes his head a bit. “It looked like Harper was flirting a bit, which is odd if she has a girlfriend.”

Anya laughs. “Lincoln, you’re being jealous. Harper was being friendly.”

 

* * *

 

 

Aden awkwardly paces around. He’s not used to be left alone like this. Well, Gustus is there, but it is awkward. He would have rather went with the others.

Gustus sits down on his couch and taps the spot next to him. “If you sit down, we can talk for a while. What do you think, Aden?” His voice is soft.

Aden nods and sits down next to Gustus.

Gustus is the first to break the silence. “Anya found you during a storm in a rubber boat, I heard.”

“Yes, I was eleven. There was a storm. My parents put me in the rubber boat. It was very small.”

“Your parents didn’t make it, did they?”

Aden fidgets with his shirt. “No, they didn’t. I saw them drown. My rubber boat was filling up with water and I thought I was going to drown too. Then a girl showed up right next to my rubber boat and she pulled me out. She told me to hold on to her so she could swim. She had a life vest and a rope. It was Anya.”

Gustus listens closely. “What happened then?”

“Some others were pulling her rope to help her and to help me. Anya brought me onto an island and there I met Lexa, Clarke, Raven and Octavia. Anya and Lexa took me in as their brother. They promised me I’d always have a family. They held me in their arms when I cried and sang me to sleep.”

Gustus can see the mixture of pain, sadness and happiness on Aden’s face. “What was your life like before the island?”

“I… my parents… they… we, we spent a lot of time sailing around. I never knew a world like this strange one here where there are cars, showers and houses like this.” Aden tilts his chin up a little. “I was always on a ship with my parents or on some island.”

“Do you like it here, Aden?”

Aden bites his lip. He’s worried to upset this man who is taking a role as his father.

Gustus carefully places a hand on Aden’s knee. “You can tell me.” His eyes are soft.

“No, I don’t like it here… you’re nice and Jake and Indra are nice too… but… I miss home.”

“The island?”

Aden nods. Yes, the island. Home.

 

* * *

 

 

Gustus and Jake are a bit wary about Harper coming over today with her girlfriend. Gustus didn’t think they would actually invite someone over.

Lexa is not happy about it. “That was irresponsible of you, Anya.” She shakes her head. “Why did you do that? I don’t even know her.”

“She seemed really nice, Lexa. Besides, if she isn’t, you can always kick her out.”

Indra walks in with Harper and another girl. “They’re here!” She announces.

Harper smiles brightly at them. “It’s so nice to meet you all!” She looks at the girl next to her. “This is my girlfriend, Monroe.”

Lexa smiles mischievously, up to something. “Right, follow us.” She waits for the drifters and the two girls to follow her.

Lexa walks with them to the big room where they can battle. She hopes that maybe it’ll scare them away. She’s happy that her father arranged some swords. She picks a sword up and looks around.

“Who dares to battle against me?” Lexa decides she’ll let them choose.

Harper and Monroe each pick up a sword. “Awesome, are you all ninjas or something?”

Octavia quickly grabs a sword. “I’ll fight you, Lexa.”

Lexa shakes her head. That is not happening. “Who wants to battle against me? Someone who is not Octavia.”

Anya hurries to battle against Lexa, before Harper or Monroe take the bait. Her sword meets Lexa’s sword.

Lexa is able to disarm her and she tosses her own sword aside, ready to kick Anya. She kicks her a few times and wins.

Harper and Monroe are cheering loudly.

Okay, maybe Lexa doesn’t find them so bad. “Harper, Monroe, are you two in for a battle?” She asks.

Harper and Monroe nod.

Lexa holds her hands up. “Aden will battle against Lincoln. Raven will battle against Monroe. Clarke will battle against Harper and I will battle against Anya.” She clears her throat. “Clarke and Harper will begin.”

Clarke grabs a stick and hands one to Harper. “Trust me you don’t want to use swords.” She winks at the girl.

Harper tries her best, but she’s no match for Clarke. She quickly falls onto the mat that’s placed inside the room. Clarke extends her hand to pull the girl up to her feet.

Lexa watches as they all battle against each other. Perhaps not all strangers should be considered a threat.

Raven sees Gustus walking in. “Yo G-dawg.” She holds her fist out to bump his.

Anya rolls her eyes. “I’m so going to kill you.” She sighs. “I think mister G sounded better, actually.”

Raven playfully pulls her close and kisses her.

 

* * *

 

 

“Octavia, someone is here to see you!” Gustus shouts through his house.

Octavia is in the pool with the other drifters when she hears Gustus shouting her name. Someone is here? For her? Who? Why? She makes her way out of the pool.

Lexa gets out of the pool too. She grabs her blade and follows Octavia. She can’t let her go alone. Not when she doesn’t know who’s there for Octavia.

Clarke gets out too and follows her wife and Octavia.

Gustus is waiting for them in his living room.

Octavia gasps when she sees the person next to Gustus. “Bellamy?”

Octavia is confused. What is her brother doing here? That day on the beach, he told her he was sorry and he turned around to run after their parents. Her brother had left her there.

Bellamy carefully approaches Octavia. “I’m so sorry, O.” He holds his hands up. “I shouldn’t have run away from you that day at the beach.”

“But you did.”

“I know, I did and I’m sorry.” Bellamy sighs. “I tried to talk with our parents.”

Octavia feels tears well up. “Couldn’t they see it’s me? I’m alive.” She clenches her jaw.

“Yes, they saw and they know.”

“They told me I’m dead.” Octavia’s voice is shaking.

Clarke wraps her arms around Octavia, gently stroking her back.

“I know, O. What they said to you was harsh. They shouldn’t have said that. They’re shocked and they can’t accept how much you’ve changed.”

Octavia balls her fists. “They can’t accept I’ve changed? Why can’t they?”

Bellamy stares at the floor. “They can’t because… because they don’t want to accept it.”

“Why not Bellamy? Tell me why?”

“They… they knew you as their little girl… you’ve grown up… you… fight and do things.” Bellamy’s voice is wavering. “You’re pregnant.”

“Why did you come here, Bellamy? How did you even find us?”

“I contacted Jake. I had to see you, talk to you. There’s a small apartment I live in and… you could live with me there.” Bellamy offers.

Octavia shakes her head. “I don’t want to.”

“But, I’m your brother.”

Octavia holds on tighter to Clarke and reaches out for Lexa’s hand, who accepts. “My family is here, Bellamy. I don’t want to live at your place.” She doesn’t want to leave the drifters.

Bellamy closes in on Octavia. “Please come home with me.”

“No, your place is not my home.”

Lexa steps in front of Octavia when Bellamy looks like he will try to grasp her wrist. “You will not take her. She’s staying here with us.”

Bellamy looks at Clarke. “Will you take care of her?”

“Of course, I always will. She’s one of us.” Clarke replies evenly.

“Can I stay for a little bit?”

Lexa is frustrated. “Octavia can decide for you.”

Octavia looks up at Lexa. “You’re letting me choose?”

Lexa nods.

“But you’re the commander.”

“I am.” Lexa’s voice softens. “But this is your choice to make.”

Octavia pulls away from hugging Clarke. “You can stay for a little bit, Bellamy. We were just in the pool, you can join us.”

Bellamy smiles and follows them to the pool. When they reach the pool, Bellamy reaches out to grab Octavia’s hand and pull her along.

Lexa is quick to stop him. She knocks Bellamy’s hand away. She lifts her right foot up and kicks it against Bellamy’s chest, making him fall directly into the pool. Nobody touches her people.

The other drifters laugh loudly at the sight.

Lexa keeps a close eye on Bellamy while they’re in the pool. She’s startled when Buddy jumps in the pool too, much to Indra’s frustration.

Octavia wraps her arms around him. “Hey Buddy, are you here to swim too?” She coos.

Indra has a towel ready for Octavia when she crawls out of the pool. She helps the girl to get out and wraps the towel around her.

Octavia has a small smile on her face. “Thank you, Indra.”

“Anytime, Octavia.”

 

* * *

 

 

Indra knocks on Lexa’s and Clarke’s bedroom door. Usually they’re up very early, but today it seemed they had opted to stay in their bedroom a little longer.

“You may enter.” Lexa’s voice replies.

Indra walks in. Lexa and Clarke are standing next to their bed. Lexa has her hands clasped behind her back and she’s standing strong, like a true leader. Clarke looks a bit sheepishly on Lexa’s side.

Lexa purses her lips. “Indra, what is the meaning of your visit?”

“There is someone here to see you both.” Indra replies. “It’s the new… paper person you asked for. We found one who is willing to listen to your side rather than interrogate you. She is waiting downstairs on the couch.”

Lexa nods. “We will be downstairs in a minute.” She flicks her wrist. “You may leave.”

Indra slightly bows her head and walks out, closing the door behind her.

Lexa wraps her arms around Clarke and smiles. “Hmm, where were we.” She kisses Clarke’s cheeks. “I think I remember.”

“Just kiss me you dork.” Clarke chuckles.

Lexa laughs lightly and presses a kiss against her wife’s lips. She grabs her hand and together they make their way downstairs.

The new paper person smiles at them. She looks around their age. Her hair is black and curly. Her eyes are green like the forest. This new paper person is beautiful.

“Hello, I’m Costia.” The girl reaches her hand out towards Lexa and Clarke. “You two must be Lexa and Clarke.”

Lexa and Clarke quickly shake her hand.

They all sit down on the couch. Indra stays close. Costia takes a recorder and puts it on the table.

_“You may share your side of the story, if you’d like.”_

Lexa sees Clarke looking at her. Okay, then she’ll share their story. “When Clarke and I were ten years old, we were on my father’s ship. A storm occurred and the ship could not be saved. We ended up in the water, where my father placed us on top of a door that was drifting around. Anya, my older sister, was assigned as our guardian. Octavia and Raven were with us too.” She decides she’ll leave out some details. “Eventually Aden was with us too, my brother. Raven married my sister, while I married Clarke.”

_“So you two are married?”_

“Yes, is that a problem?”

_“Oh no, not in the slightest. I very much support the LGBT+ community. It would be strange if I didn’t, I’m a part of it myself.”_

The interview continues for a while. Lexa and Clarke get the chance to tell their side. Costia is polite and listens to every word they say. When they’re done, they all stand up.

“Thank you, Costia.” Lexa politely thanks her. “It was nice to have someone listening to our side.”

“I was wondering. Perhaps this a bit too forward of me, but would you like to grab some coffee together sometime, Lexa?”

Lexa shakes her head. “I don’t like coffee.”

“Oh okay, no problem. Perhaps we could grab some dinner or go to the movies. Anything you like really!” Costia’s eyes light up and she’s smiling.

Lexa tilts her head. "We already have dinner available and I do not know what the movies are."

Indra suddenly grabs Costia by the back of her shirt, roughly brings her to the front door and shuts it in her face.

Lexa stares blankly. “Indra, why did you do that?”

Indra sighs. “Lexa, Costia was flirting with you. She tried to go out with you and you’re married so that’s why I did what I did.”

“She was flirting with me?” Lexa looks at her wife who looks just as confused as she does.

Raven scoffs from behind them. “That Costia chick needs to keep it in her pants.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once upon a time there was Costia and then she was gone :)
> 
> Clexa is life.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Octavia finally has her baby.

They’re sitting at the table, eating dinner. It’s silent, aside from the occasional sounds of cutlery scraping against their plates.

Lexa is still wondering about the situation with that paper person, Costia. It was weird how Indra basically dragged her towards the door and slammed it in her face. Indra had told her Costia was flirting with her, when she asked Indra for an explanation. What is flirting? This world is so weird. When she had looked at her wife, she seemed equally confused.

She also wonders what Raven meant when Raven said Costia needs to keep it in her pants. She doesn’t recall Costia taking anything out of her pants. Did Costia hide a blade there, like Raven hides blades under her pants? She did not see Costia reaching for anything in her pants.

Lexa breaks the silence. “What is flirting?”

Raven snorts. “You don’t know?”

Lexa gives her a confused look. “You know?” She looks around the table. It looks as if most of them know what it is.

Raven stands up. “Allow me to show it to you.”

Lexa nods. Okay, if Raven has to show it to her to explain it, then so be it.

Anya glares at Raven, warning her with her eyes.

Raven takes Lexa's hand. “You are gorgeous, damn your eyes.” She kisses the knuckles of Lexa’s hand. “We should drink something together sometime and perhaps we can kiss a bit.” Her voice is sultry and she leans over the table, closer to Lexa. 

Lexa’s eyes widen and she pulls her hand away. “Raven, you are my sister’s wife!” She looks offended. “I married Clarke!”

Raven winks at Lexa. “Exactly! And that is why Indra slammed that door in Costia’s pretty face.” She licks her lips. “I was flirting with you, what I just did, that’s flirting. Costia was flirting with you. And your reaction to what I did? Yeah, that’s how Indra reacted with Costia.”

Anya chuckles. “You were making it very obvious, Raven.”

“What can I say? I’m blunt.”

Lexa glares at Raven.

Raven laughs loudly. “Lexa chill, I didn’t mean it. I said those things to explain it to you. I’m not actually going to kiss you, you know.” She wiggles her eyebrows. “I mean, damn girl you’re fine and all that, but I already got what I need right here.” She wraps her arms around Anya and kisses her.

 

* * *

 

 

Octavia is afraid when she’s brought to the hospital. Once she was eight years old and a storm caused her to end up on an island. An island she knows as home, where she continued to grow up. Now she is seventeen and she’s at the hospital, ready to have a baby. Her baby. Hers and Lincoln’s.

She has no idea what to expect. She had read a few books Jake had provided for her, but that didn’t help her much. If anything, it made her afraid. She did not scare easily, at least not as easily as she did as a child, but now she felt very scared. The last time she felt this scared was when the storm happened and she was about to drown. Although compared to that, this is scarier.

With her right hand she’s holding onto Anya. She had refused to let her hand go. Anya is her mentor, her guardian. Anya is the closest she has had to a mother for the last nine years. She taught her to swim, she sang her to sleep and many other things, a parent would do. Anya has loved her like a mother would, and she loves her too. With her left hand she’s holding on to Clarke. She didn’t want to let her go either. Clarke is her best friend, she has always been her best friend. They grew up together, at all times. They were together before the island, on the island and now they still are.

The doctors tell her only Lincoln can come with her, because he’s the father of her child. She panics. She’s glad Lincoln is allowed to go with her, but that’s not enough. Luckily the doctors realize how panicked she is and allow her to have Anya and Clarke in there with her too.

The bed feels strange and Octavia is confused. It is all happening so fast. She feels pain that comes and goes in waves. Lincoln is standing on one side of the bed while Anya is standing on the other side. They’re holding her hands and she’s squeezing their hands each time she feels pain. She’s quite sure she’s digging her nails into their skin, but they don’t say anything and they don’t flinch. They must be feeling it, but they don’t show it. Clarke soothingly caresses her thumb across her cheek and places soft kisses on her forehead. It helps her relax just a little bit.

She listens to the doctors and tries to do what they ask her to. She can feel sweat dripping from her body. It’s warm and she feels exhausted. She feels Clarke gently dipping a washcloth against her forehead for the drops of sweat. It feels like this is taking very long. The doctors had informed her it would take a while, but she didn’t think it would take this long. She doesn’t even know if she’s going to have a girl or a boy. She had chosen she wanted it to be a surprise.

One of the doctors wraps her baby in a towel and places it in her arms. She’s thankful for Jake’s lessons. Thankful how Jake had gotten her a special doll he had helped her practice with, to help her learn how she would have to hold her baby. She’s grateful that she’s somewhat prepared for this, that she’s not left completely clueless. Her baby is so tiny, so soft.

The doctor who had placed her baby in her arms smiles at her. “Congratulations ma’am, you have a beautiful healthy baby girl.”

A girl. She has a girl. Tears escape from her eyes before she can stop them.

 

* * *

 

 

Lexa, Raven, Aden, Gustus and Indra are waiting in the hall at the hospital. They were not allowed to follow the doctors as they took Octavia away. They had only allowed Lincoln, Anya and Clarke to follow them.

Lexa doesn’t like the way the hospital smells. It’s a strange smell. It’s very different from her island. On her island, the air is fresh and it’s a delight to breathe it in. Here at the hospital, she crunches her nose up. She hopes they won’t have to wait too long, but she will wait as long as it takes. She’s been informed that it’s a slow process. She digs her hands in the pockets of her black leather jacket. She liked the way the jacket had looked on Raven and her father had gotten her one too. Her blade is carefully tucked away in the sleeves of her jacket. Indra, Jake and Gustus had tried to convince her not to take her blade with her, but she wouldn’t go without her blade. It wouldn’t be their decision to make. She is the commander. Now at age nineteen, she’s been the commander for seven years already.

Raven is leaning against the wall next to Lexa, who is still standing up as if they haven’t been there for hours. She had tried to decently stand up too, but after a while she had given up and slumped herself against the wall behind them. The hospital is a strange place. She doesn’t like it. Despite her love for technology, she misses the island. It’s been months. She smirks at the idea that Lexa is wearing a black leather jacket just like hers. Maybe Lexa isn’t always so stiff and serious. She’s wearing boots with blades tucked away in them. She wonders what Octavia’s baby will look like. Time has been passing fast. She’s twenty years old and her wife is twenty-three.

Aden is looking around. This place is very strange. The walls are all painted white and the doctors look slightly creepy. It makes him uncomfortable. He misses the waves at sea and the calm environment of the island. It has been months and he’s still in this strange world. He never knew a world like this when he was a child. If his parents wouldn’t have drowned, he’d still be out there, at sea and on islands. Now that he’s eighteen, he’s thinking that maybe someday he can follow his own path. He doesn’t want to leave the drifters just like that, but he’s not happy here.

Jake wishes he could have done more for Octavia. He has tried to teach her as many things as he possibly could. He’s glad his daughter is there for Octavia and that she has Lincoln too. Lincoln is a good man. He’s loyal and kind, among other things. He hopes that plan B will work out. The hospital reminds his of his ex-wife, Abby. That woman is so stubborn.

Gustus is relieved that the girls have always stuck together and that they still do. He can tell how close they are. Aden is his son, but he can tell the boy is still miserable. Anya and Lexa look happy around their wives, but it doesn’t go unnoticed how they’re miserable too. He knows they try to hide it, especially Lexa hides it, but he can still tell when he looks in their eyes. He hopes plan B will be better.

Indra is glad that the girls have been found months ago. She is happy to see Lexa again. Lexa has grown up so well. She’s strong and fierce. Aden is nice too. Sometimes she feels like she’s their personal bodyguard when she follows them around, even though they obviously don’t need one. They can fend for themselves just fine. She likes how she has been included when they battle against each other. It was a bit rough at first, but not so bad. She feels for Octavia. That girl has been through so much. Octavia feels like the daughter she never had.

Indra looks around as they’re all waiting. “Anyone want some coff- I mean water?”

“Water would be nice.” Lexa nods.

Aden nods.

Raven holds her thumb up.

“Coffee for me, please.” Gustus replies.

“Coffee for me as well.” Jake adds.

Indra walks away to go get their drinks. She comes back a while later with a tray in her hands.

 

* * *

 

 

Octavia remembers the stories Aden told her when they were younger. All the magical fairytales he shared with her, about princesses and so much more. When she looks at her daughter in her arms, she thinks this must be what a princess looks like.

The others walk into her room to see her and her baby.

“Awe, a cute tiny creature.” Raven coos.

Lexa gently caresses a finger across Octavia’s daughter’s cheek. “What’s her name?”

Octavia presses a soft kiss onto her daughter’s forehead. “Emily, her name is Emily.”

Clarke holds her arms out. “May I?” She prepared for this, she had practiced holding dolls.

Octavia nods and lets Clarke take Emily out of her arms. “Be careful, support her head, she’s so tiny and fragile.”

“She’s so beautiful, Octavia.” Clarke has tears in her eyes. “She’s so soft.”

Octavia is happy. She may not be home, but her family is here. Her baby girl is perfect. She’s healthy. Her cheeks are rosy and soft. She loves how tiny her daughter is.

“Her fingers are so tiny.” Clarke beams. “Awe and her cute little feet and toes.”

Indra looks in awe at the scene. “I have a feeling Emily will be spoiled very much by all the drifters.”

“Oh I will spoil her too and I think Gustus will as well.” Jake adds.

Gustus leans closer to Indra and whispers in her ear. “How is plan B coming along?”

“All clear.”

 

* * *

 

 

Octavia is walking around in her bedroom with Emily in her arms, carefully holding her.

Clarke walks in her room. “Hey, O, need any help packing?”

“Yeah a hand would be very nice right now.” Octavia chuckles. “Mine are kinda full.”

“Hey, Emily.” Clarke coos. “Aren’t you the cutest little girl ever?” She gently caresses Emily’s cheek.

Octavia tilts her head towards her bed where a half-packed suitcase is. “I was almost done.”

Clarke quickly packs the rest of Octavia’s bag.

“Where’s Lincoln? And did you pack for Emily?” Clarke asks.

“I think Lincoln is at the beach, waiting for us. Yeah I packed for Emily. Gustus already took her bags for me.”

“It’s nice that they’re taking us on a trip, we haven’t been out at sea in months! It’s been too long really.” Clarke takes a deep breath. “It’ll be like a nice vacation.”

“I was a bit wary at first, but it sounds like it’ll be nice.” Octavia looks at her daughter. “I was a bit worried you know? Like what if a storm happens and stuff. I have to be careful with my baby girl.”

Clarke nods. “Yeah I get that, O. My dad assured that it looks like the weather will be good.” She takes Octavia’s bag, ready to bring it downstairs. “Are you good to go? I think the others are waiting downstairs.”

“Yeah, I’m ready.” Octavia glares at Clarke’s shirt. “You look funny.”

“Don’t get me started, O. You’re wearing a Hawaiian shirt too.” Clarke chuckles. “We all are.”

They go downstairs where the others are waiting. Indra, Gustus and Jake divide them into cars to bring them to the beach.

At the beach, Lincoln is waiting, but he’s not alone. Gustus’ crew is there too, of course. They also see Harper and Monroe who had been invited to go with them on the trip, since they became friends over the last few months. Bellamy is standing there too, he had recently rebuilt the contact with Octavia a little bit and was invited for the trip too.

Gustus looks at everyone. “It looks like my ship is going to be quite full.” He grabs some bags and helps to bring them on board.

“Clarke, wait!!”

Clarke turns around and sees her mother running on the beach, running towards them. “Mom?”

Abby tries to run faster, she trips over her own feet and falls face-first onto the sand.

Clarke and the others watch as Abby awkwardly scrambles back up on her feet.

“What do you want?” Clarke sighs. “What are you even doing here?”

“My new husband and I want you to spend some time with us. You can stay with us for a week.”

“What about the rest of my people?” Clarke gestures to the others who are standing close to her.

“No.” Abby shakes her head. “Just you.”

“Not even my wife would be allowed to be there too?”

“Clarke, not this again. She’s not-”

Clarke crosses her arms. “What is your problem with me being with a girl?”

“I… It’s not really a problem. It’s just different… it’s the wedding part…”

“Go home, mom.”

“You could stay at my place for a while, Clarke.”

“I’m not going to your place. I’m going on a trip.” Clarke flicks her wrist. “You may leave.”

“Clar-”

Lexa holds her hand up. “You heard my wife. Leave and watch your feet, the sand appears to be slippery.” She says coolly.

Raven has a smug look on her face. “Maybe Abby likes to go down.”

“I believe she likes to kiss the sand.” Lexa replies.

Abby stomps away, angrily. She’s not interested to kiss the sand, not again.

Indra waits until they’re all on board of Gustus’ ship. “I will call your name and when you hear your name, tell me you’re present. If not, I’ll assume you’re not.”

“Lexa?”

“Present.” Lexa replies with a sigh.

“Clarke?”

“Present.”

“Raven?”

“Yo sup?” Raven smirks.

Indra rolls her eyes and goes on. “Anya?”

“Present.”

“Aden?”

“Present.”

“Octavia?”

“Present.”

“Emily?”

“No, I came here without my daughter.” Octavia snorts. “What do you think?”

Indra winks at her. “Emily, not present.”

“Oh come on, Indra.” Octavia chuckles. “Emily, present. There.”

“Lincoln?”

‘Present.”

“Harper?”

“Present.”

“Monroe?”

“Present.”

“Bellamy?”

“Present.”

“Good.” Indra nods approvingly. “Looks like everyone is here. There are three cabins assigned for you all. How you divide them is up to you.”

Lexa steps out in front of the others and holds her hands up. “Listen up everyone I will only say this once.” Her voice is loud and clear. “Cabin number one: Raven, Anya, Harper and Monroe.” She gestures for them to go place their bags into their cabin.

“Cabin number two: Lincoln, Bellamy and Aden.” Lexa motions her hands so they’ll pick up their bags and go to their cabin.

“Lastly cabin number three: Clarke, Octavia, Emily and me.”

Clarke smiles at her wife. “You’re picking Octavia and Emily to sleep in our cabin on purpose, isn’t it?”

“Why Clarke, I know Octavia is your best friend and I know how much you like Emily because she’s a little cutie.” Lexa coos.

“Something is telling me that I’m not the only one who really wants Emily in our cabin.” Clarke kisses her wife. “Kiss me if I’m right.”

Lexa pokes her wife and kisses her. “Hush, Clarke.”

“You love children, admit it.”

Lexa groans. “Fine, I admit it, I love children.”

Clarke stands on the deck and takes a deep breath. “It is nice to be out at sea again.”

“It’s refreshing.” Lexa inhales to welcome a breath of fresh air. “The air is much better here.”

Clarke nuzzles her head against Lexa’s shoulder. “Mhm yeah it is.” She kisses Lexa’s collarbone.

Raven walks up to them with pencils and a ruler she found. “Hey, Lexa, let me be your ruler.” She sing-songs.

Anya nudges Raven’s side and kisses her.

Lexa rolls her eyes. “Anya, you have a weird taste in women.”

“Oh come on Lexa, you love me.” Raven smirks and places a kiss on Lexa’s cheek.

“I know who I will have to battle with when we battle again.” Lexa rubs her cheek to brush off Raven’ kiss.

“You’re on.” Raven winks at Lexa. “Can’t wait.”

Anya places a hand over Raven’s mouth. “You’re unbelievable.”

Raven winks at her. “Can’t get my ass if you can’t handle my sass.”

“You know I’m the only reason Lexa hasn’t killed you yet, right?”

“I’m considering it, as a matter of fact.” Lexa adds with a cold tone. “She might not survive this trip.” A smile tugs at her lips.

 

* * *

 

 

Clarke is up early and she’s walking around with Emily in her arms, while Octavia is still sleeping. She’s looking out over the sea, keeping a careful distance from the edge of the deck.

Lexa smiles as she approaches her wife. “This is the second morning I catch you here with Emily in your arms.” She finds it amusing.

“She’s so cute.” Clarke’s voice is husky. “I can’t help it.” It’s not her fault Emily is so adorable.

“I can tell that you really like her.”

“I’m not the only one who likes her, Lexa.” Clarke faces her wife. “You like her too.”

“She’s a cute young drifter.”

“I wouldn’t really call her a drifter, you know, no blood oath and all that.”

Lexa shakes her head. “Doesn’t matter, she’s born through drifters, that makes her a drifter.”

“I take it that’s a new rule now?”

Lexa has a tight smile. “Of course it is.” She looks at Emily. “She’s one of my people, our people.”

“Can you hold her for a while?”

“I’m not falling for this one again, Clarke.” Lexa chuckles lightly. “Yesterday you asked me the same, right before Octavia marched towards me about stealing her child while she sleeps. Octavia is scary when you cross her.”

“I wouldn’t say stealing. I’m borrowing her, that’s all.”

As if right on cue, Octavia marches up to them. “Clarke, this is the second time you do this.”

“Yesterday Lexa did it.”

Lexa gasps. “I did not!”

Octavia chuckles. “Okay you two, hand me my daughter.” She holds her arms out.

Clarke pouts. “Awe but Octavia, she loves me.” She hands Emily to Octavia.

“I see Indra is keeping post.” Octavia bobs her head in Indra’s direction.

Lexa nods. “Yes, she was here all night.”

Lexa had arranged that everyone would take turns to keep post, day and night in case any troubled weather would appear. It’s a safety precaution, so they would be able to get Emily off board fast, if needed. It helps them sleep at night.

Lexa places a hand on Indra’s shoulder. “Someone else will take over. Please, go get some rest.”

Indra nods and leaves to go get some rest.

“Clarke, go wake Bellamy and tell him it is his turn to keep post.”

“Yeah sure, I’ll be back in a bit.” Clarke places a quick kiss on her wife’s lips.

“Emily is a little angel.” Lexa stares at Octavia and Emily. “She’s beautiful.”

Octavia feels a few tears well up. “Yeah, she’s my little angel.”

Lexa soothingly strokes Octavia’s back. “You are strong, Octavia. I’m very proud of you.” She smiles warmly at Octavia. “I believe you have the potential to lead too.”

“I would try to hug you if I didn’t have Emily in my arms right now.”

Aden follows Bellamy onto the deck with an annoyed look on his face.

Lexa notices right away. “What’s wrong, Aden?” Concern laces her voice.

“Bellamy snored all night!”

Lexa tries not to laugh but fails miserably.

“Lexa, it’s not funny! He snores really loud!”

“Bellamy is keeping post today.” Lexa replies. “I can let you keep post tonight.”

“I accept.”

Bellamy groans. “How come drifters are being offered when they want to keep post and I’m being ordered?”

Lexa clenches her jaw. She doesn’t really like having him there, but it’s for Octavia’s sake. “Because I am the commander and I say so.” There are no emotions in her voice.

“Ugh is baloney complaining again?” Raven rubs some sleep out of her eyes. “Morning babes.” She winks at Lexa, Clarke and Octavia. “Morning bro.” She winks at Aden.

“You have to stop calling me that, Raven.” Bellamy grunts.

“Eh, I’ll think about it.”

 

* * *

 

 

“I can hear you two kissing!”

Lexa lets out a raspy laugh. “Stop eavesdropping, Octavia.”

“I’m literally in the same cabin.”

Clarke pretends Octavia isn’t there and kisses her wife. She can hear Octavia rolling her eyes at them.

“You two are so cruel. I hear you kissing every night. Meanwhile Lincoln is sleeping in another cabin, so I can’t kiss him.” Octavia pouts. “It’s not fair.”

“Well” Clarke retorts “if you’d rather share a cabin with snoring Bellamy, you can go sleep there.”

Lexa chimes in. “Yes, Octavia, you should go sleep there with Lincoln. I heard Bellamy’s snoring is a beautiful melody.”

“Did I tell you two yet how lovely this cabin is?” Octavia’s voice sounds high pitched. “It’s great.”

Lexa and Clarke chuckle so much they nearly roll out of their bed.

Emily seems to stir awake and cries.

“Awe no.” Lexa feels bad now. She quickly gets up and nearly trips over her own feet. “I got you.” She picks Emily up and gently rocks her in her arms. “Shhh.”

Octavia blinks her eyes a few times, completely confused by Lexa’s sudden reaction. Their tough commander, picking up her daughter to soothe her? Well this is different, though the glare on Lexa’s face says enough that she shouldn’t mention it to the others. She has always looked up to Lexa, now even more to know she has this special sweet and soft side.

Clarke melts and feels her heart swell when Lexa silently sings Emily back to sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

Anya groans when another pillow hits her. Raven, Harper and Monroe are having a pillow fight and pillows keep hitting her.

“I’m so going to kill Lexa for letting me share a cabin with the three of you.”

Raven playfully hits a pillow in her wife’s face. “Come on, babe. You love me.” She leans in and kisses her wife. “You love all of us.”

“I don’t know which cabin is worse, this one where all of you are having pillow fights, the other one where Bellamy snores or Lexa’s cabin where Emily cries sometimes.”

Raven nudges her wife. “You got me here.” She kisses her wife roughly and bites her lip.

Harper and Monroe groan. “You two are always making out.”

“Oh looks who’s talking.” Raven retorts. “You two kiss so often you might as well glue your faces together.”

“Shh, don’t give them any ideas.” Anya mumbles. “They might do it.”

“At least we’re not doing anything kinky.” Harper huffs playfully.

Raven smirks. “Wanna learn?”

Anya smacks a pillow in her wife’s face. “Time to shut you up.”

“Anya! You could kiss me if you want to shut me up, you know?”

“This was more fun.”

Monroe laughs. “You two bicker so much, I can’t believe you two are married.”

“It’s part of our marriage package deal.” Raven kisses her wife. “We always make it up, don’t we?” She winks at her wife.

Anya responds by pushing her wife down onto the bed.

Harper clears her throat. “Um…hi, we’re still here.”

 

* * *

 

 

Gustus wakes the drifters and their friends at the crack of dawn on their eight day at sea. He convinces them to let him blindfold them.

Jake, Indra and some crew members help Gustus to get them all off the ship.

A moment later, they take their blindfolds off.

Lexa squints her eyes at the sudden light in her eyes. “Father, what… how...” She is at a loss for words when she looks around. “This…”

Lexa sees several huts that look like they’re strongly built. There are many trees with fruit and trees that are still growing. A little sort of play garden is built onto the sand and there is a bunch of things for Octavia’s baby girl.

Gustus takes Lexa’s hand in his. “We never gave you or the other drifters a choice. When we found you all, we simply took you with us on my ship to civilization. We have been so wrong. We were so wrong back then. This trip was not a random trip as some sort of vacation. We have been planning this for months. We noticed how miserable you and the other drifters have been to be away from your island. This time we want to give you all a choice, a choice we didn’t give you before when we should have. Each one of you can choose to stay here on the island or to go back. Another option is to stay here and to go back sometimes. My ship will sail back and forth from time to time.”

Tears prick Lexa’s eyes. “You brought us home.” It feels like a wave is hitting her, but this time it’s a good one. “I want to stay here, definitely here. This is home. This island belongs to my people.”

Clarke joins her wife. “I want to stay too, this is our home.” She intertwines her fingers with Lexa’s.

Aden nods his head. “This is home.”

Raven and Anya smile brightly. “We’re home.” They hug each other, filled with emotions.

Octavia is holding Emily in her arms. “Look baby girl, we’re home.” Tears spill over her cheeks. “Arcola!” She smiles as Arcola flies around and settles onto her shoulder.

Jake smiles brightly. “Gustus and I already assumed you’d want to stay here. We know this island is your home.” He looks around. “Harper, Monroe and Bellamy have decided they will travel back and forth, if you’ll let them.”

Lexa looks shocked. “They knew?”

“Yes, they were in on it. Only you and the other drifters didn’t know. Aside from Lincoln, he knew too.”

Lexa tries not to let her jaw drop. “Father, did you build all of those things.” She points at the little play garden onto the sand, the new fruit trees, the baby things and the stronger looking new huts.

“There have been some of my crew members building this.”

Indra shouts a few names, belonging to the crew members of Gustus who were already on the island before they arrived, who built it all.

The few that are called show up and there is a group of children with them. The men leave the group of children onto the sand and they make their way to board Gustus’ ship. The children look like their ages vary from 3-12.

Lexa faces Indra. “What is the meaning of this?” She waves her hand to the group of children.

Gustus is quick to explain. “Those children are orphans, or lost children in a way. We brought them here onto the island. Jake and I thought that perhaps, you would accept them as drifters and give them a home here.”

Lexa’s jaw drops. “That is… that’s amazing. Yes, of course. Those children will have a place among my people, they will be my people.” She runs up to greet the children.

Clarke follows her wife to greet the children.

Octavia carefully rocks Emily in her arms. “Do you see that baby girl?” She coos. “You’ll have friends to play with when you grow up.”

Lexa holds her hands up to address everyone once they’re silent.

“Drifters, today we are home again. Our home will continue to flourish. Welcome home, all of you. Let us build a campfire and renew our oath for anyone who desires to be one of us.”

After all those months they are back on their island.

They are home.

Home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was it. This is the last chapter. I hope you enjoyed reading! :)

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea, so yup :) 
> 
> ***DO NOT REPOST ANY OF MY STORIES ANYWHERE EVER, I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR THIS***


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